Joining ISO files with .--a

[3lutz3toe]

1) I have downloaded about 9 ISO files that have these extensions:
name.iso.--a, name.iso.--b and so on.
—I don’t know any Mac joiner programs that would join files w/ alphabet extensions(sp?). So what I did was I renamed the extensions to name.iso.001, name.iso.002 and, etc.
—I was able to join them this way. But I have 9 iso files, 8 of them are at 499MB each, and the 9th one is at 446MB(approx). But the resulted file is only 4GB when it should be something like 4.4GB.
—Also one odd thing, the 9th file before joining, my mac says that it is an MPEG file, even though it is an ISO file.
—Does anyone knows what’s going on?
—The renaming to .001 and so on shouldn’t affect the files should it?

2) I then tried to burn the resulted ISO and burn it to DVD using Toast 7. It won't let me, saying that it missing something (i can't remember, i'll have to try it again to see what errors). It also something like it can't burn the audio (XA) or something like that. What should I do?

Any insights would be appreciated.

[Case]

How did you join the segments? As there seems to be going something wrong in the process.

[3lutz3toe]

I joined them w/ Split&Concat software. I go to File>Open, and I selected all of the files to be joined and saved. But it comes out to only 4GB instead of 4.4GB. Yeah, I should try to rejoin them.
—Maybe I should drag and drop the files instead?
—Does Split&Concat support name.iso.--a types of joining? I think it might. Can I rename them back to this? name.iso.00a, name.iso.00b, and so on? Or should I keep them as their original files like this name.iso.--a

[terryj]

changing their name might mess up the Concating
of the file.

If you do try this, I reccommend making a copy of
the files to a new folder, and then using a program
like R-Name to go in and find and change the "--" to
"00" ( no quote marks) so that it cuts down
on human error (fat fingering, etc.).

Then try and run S&C on the COPY folder, and see if
it does fix the problem.

[3lutz3toe]

I tried renaming the files w/ R-Name and was able to join them together to 4.3GB. But I got the same errors when I tried burning it in Toast.
I get the following errors:
1) Toast could not detect the format of iso file. Click continue if you are certain that it is a valid disc image.
-I then click continue. And I get this next one.

2)A pop up menu that says:

File Size: 4.33GB
Pregap ——(fill in blank box) Sectors
Postgap——(fill in blank box) Sectos
Sector Size 2352 Bytes (pull down menue)

—Of course I don't know Pregap Sectors or Postgap Sectors so I leave them at 0 and click OK.
—Then I would click Burn and I get this message: CD-ROM XA or Audio tracks cannot be written to DVD

Does anyone have any idea what's going on?

[terryj]

aaah...I have seen this just recently.
And sad to say, here is how I fixed the issue:

1. Copied the re-joined ISO file to my Dos formatted
FW External Drive.
2. Took it to my wife's PC, and opened the file in MagicISO.
3. Re-saved the file back out as a Standard ISO file.
4. Opened the file then in PowerISO to verfify contents.
5. closed the ISO. Disconnected from the PC,
went back and connected to my Mac.
6. Mounted the new standard ISO using Toast 7.

Apparently, MagicISO users aren't writing standard ISO files,
but properitary ISO file structures that are recognizable
by MagicISO, but not by other apps. This is the only way
I have found to fix problematic ISO's like this.

[3lutz3toe]

Thanks terryj for your solution.
Are you sure there is no way around short of getting a PC? I have never really used a PC before and I would have to get one or borrow one.
—There are no Mac applications that would let me convert these ISO files to standard ISO files?
Please help.

[terryj]

no, AFAIK, there are no ISO utilities as robust as Power ISO on the mac side. And MagicISO is a properitary PC only program
for creating ISO images, in it's own native formating,
which is why there doesn't exist for anything on the Mac side
to crack it: Toast uses the Standard ISO conventions, and thus
can handle mounting them; MagicISO creates its own similar
yet properitary formatted ISO file that it can handle.

( think of in the same lines as how a .sitx file can be created on
a Mac using Stuffit, and how this .sitx cannot be opened by a PC using Stuffit for Windows. It is a Stuffit achive in theory, and yet
because it has properitary encoding, only a Mac can open it.)

[3lutz3toe]

Hi again Terryj,
—I have one more question since I’m not very familiar w/ PC.
I have 2 options?
One is to get a PC or can I run Apple Bootcamp or Parrallel desktop on my Mac? If so, can I run Magic ISO on my Mac w/ either Apple Bootcamp or Parrallel?
—These 2 programs allow your Mac to run Window programs, right?
Thanks.

[terryj]

Yes, Parrallels or BootCamp will allow you
to run Windows XP.

You can run Magic ISO in Windows XP under Boot Camp
on a MacIntel, I just installed Magic ISO on a buddies
Macintel Laptop that is having the same issue you
are having. Aside from the fact that his Windows drive
only has 6GB of space, and he had to access the image from
an external Combo (usb/fw) drive, as he didn't have enough
space on his Windows XP partition to run the OS and
unpack/repack the ISO.

but it can be done....