What is an ECM file? Disc image created in the Error Code Modeler (ECM) format; stores the disc image by removing redundant error correction codes and checksums; allows the CD image to be reduced in size for transmission over the Internet; often used for compressing game console disc images.

More Information ECM files are created from disc images such as .BIN , .CDI , .NRG , and .CCD files. Once encoded to the ECM format, the ECM file can then be compressed using .RAR compression or another compression algorithm. The resulting compressed size can be 15-20% smaller than the equivalent full disc compressed image. To restore the original CD image from a compressed ECM file (e.g., image.nrg.ecm.rar ), first decompress the file to a raw ECM file, and then restore the original CD image from the ECM file using the ECM software, which contains a decompression program called unecm.exe .