Supported Formats
DAT files
| Format | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
No-Intro XML (.dat, .xml) | Yes | The only supported validation reference |
| ClrMamePro DAT | No | Detected and rejected with an explanatory message |
| MAME XML | No | Detected and rejected |
| Binary or unknown files | No | Detected and rejected |
| Zip files selected as DAT | No | Detected and rejected |
A valid No-Intro XML DAT contains a datafile element with header metadata and a list of game elements, each with one or more rom entries (name, size, CRC, MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256).
Download DAT files from no-intro.org or use the Download Dat Files button in the Validate ROMs tab.
Archive formats
| Format | Read | Create / repack |
|---|---|---|
.zip | Yes | Yes (SharpCompress) |
.7z | Yes | Yes (SharpCompress, fallback 7za) |
.rar | Yes | Converted to zip when repacking |
See Archive Support for details.
Hash algorithms
| Algorithm | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| CRC32 | 8 hex characters | Fast validation and legacy DAT files |
| MD5 | 32 hex characters | Validation |
| SHA-1 | 40 hex characters | Validation |
| SHA-256 | 64 hex characters | Validation and duplicate detection |
Validation compares every hash that is present in the DAT entry, together with the file size. The generated DAT file contains all four hashes.
File system requirements
- Windows file system (NTFS or ReFS recommended).
- Read access to the ROM folder; write access when moving, renaming, deleting or repacking.
- Temporary disk space for archive repacking.