What Is a DAA File?

This article explains what a DAA file is and how to use one on your computer.

What Is a DAA File?

A file with the DAA file extension is a Direct Access Archive file. They're a lot like ISO files in that they can be full image copies of discs, but have some advantages over ISO, like compression and file splitting abilities.

Some DAA files might be encrypted, protected behind a password, and even split up into smaller pieces like file.part01.daa, file.part02.daa, etc.

The Direct Access Archive format is a proprietary one developed by the same people that created the disc imaging software PowerISO.

How to Open a DAA File

DAA files can be opened, created, and burned to a disc with the PowerISO program. The company has tutorials on their site if you need them, like how to extract a DAA file and how to burn a DAA file.

For Windows, Pismo File Mount Audit Package should be able to mount a DAA file as a virtual disc. This makes Windows think there's a real disc inserted, even when one isn't really there. It's useful because you don't have to burn the DAA file to a CD before using it. AcetoneISO does the same, but for Linux.

MagicISO and UltraISO can open DAA files as well.

Some free file zip/unzip tools may be able to open DAA files, too, which would let you access the data without having to burn the files to a disc and without having to mount them as a virtual disc.

How to Convert a DAA File

Even though DAA files are designed strictly for PowerISO, there are a few methods for converting DAA to ISO so that you can burn it to disc with programs that only work with ISO files.

The best way is surely to use PowerISO itself. There's a tutorial on their site for decompressing DAA to ISO.

Another method is to use a tool called DAA2ISO. It's straightforward and doesn't need to be installed on your computer. It even supports multipart DAA files.

DAA Converter converts DAA to ISO on macOS. It works the same as DAA2ISO, but has a graphical user interface.

You cannot convert a DAA file to MP3, PDF, or any other format like that. Since DAA files are disc image files, they can technically only be converted to other disc image formats, which is why it's possible to convert DAA to ISO.

However, if you open the DAA file with a file unzip tool as we explained above, you can then convert those individual files to something else. Use a free file converter to do that.

Still Can't Open the File?

The most likely reason for why none of the programs mentioned above are unable to open the file is because it's not actually a DAA file. It can be easy to mistake one file for a DAA file if the file extensions are similar.

For example, DDAT files share some of the same file extension letters as DAA files, even though the two formats are completely unrelated and require different programs to work. DDAT files are temporary video files that open with DivX software.

DAE and DAR are some other examples where the files look a lot like they read "DAA" and might therefore seem compatible with a DAA opener, but they're really reserved for different formats that are incompatible with the software linked above.