File mode
Disc → VIDEO_TS filesCopies the disc's VOB, IFO and BUP files to a folder. Take everything, or only the title set that holds the main feature.
Windows freeware · Final release 3.5.4.0
DVD Decrypter, the classic tool for DVD backups
Unlock the power of DVD Decrypter, a free and lightweight Windows tool for ripping, copying, and backing up DVDs. Easily extract DVD files, create ISO images, and preserve your favorite movies with a simple interface, powerful features, and reliable performance.
- Platform
- Windows
- Version
- 3.5.4.0
- Licence
- Freeware
- Status
- Discontinued
About the program
What is DVD Decrypter?
A small Windows utility from 2005 that copies a DVD-Video disc to your hard drive — as the original files or as one complete disc image.
DVD Decrypter was written by a developer known as LIGHTNING UK! and released as freeware. It reads a DVD and saves what is on it, removing restrictions common on discs of its time: CSS encryption, region coding, Macrovision analogue flags and the user-operation prohibitions that stop you skipping warnings.
Its modes range from copying the full VIDEO_TS folder to extracting a single title, and it can burn images back to blank discs — the engine that later became ImgBurn.
Development stopped in June 2005 after a cease-and-desist letter from Macrovision, so 3.5.4.0 is the last version. People still use it to archive discs they own — this site explains how, and where a newer tool is the better choice.
Features
Four modes, one clear job each
DVD Decrypter's strength is control. Each mode produces a different kind of copy, so you get exactly the output you need — nothing more.
The Mode menu
DIAGRAM 02ISO Read
Disc → .ISO imageReads the whole disc into a single image file. Dual-layer discs also get an .MDS file recording the layer break.
ISO Write
Image → blank discBurns an existing image back to a recordable DVD. This engine is the part that later became ImgBurn.
IFO mode
Title → chosen streamsWorks from one program chain, so you can keep just the main movie, split it by chapter, or separate audio and subtitles.
Mode names follow the program's own Mode menu. Learn when to use each in the DVD Decrypter modes guide.
Handles DVD-era restrictions
Deals with CSS encryption, region codes, Macrovision analogue flags and user-operation prohibitions found on discs of its time.
Copies only what you choose
Select individual files, titles, chapters, audio tracks and subtitle streams instead of copying an entire disc.
Flexible drive access
Lets you switch the I/O interface and adjust device settings — usually the fix when a drive is not detected.
Small and free
A compact freeware download with no account, licence key or subscription. The trade-off: no updates since 2005.
How it works
From disc to drive in four steps
The basic workflow is the same whichever mode you choose.
-
Insert the disc
Put the DVD in your drive and open DVD Decrypter. Close any player that starts automatically.
Source: your DVD drive -
Pick a mode
Choose File, ISO › Read or IFO from the Mode menu, depending on whether you want files, an image or one title.
Mode menu -
Set the destination
Choose a folder on a drive with enough space. A dual-layer disc can need around 8.5 GB.
Destination field -
Press Decrypt
Click the large Decrypt button and wait. Speed depends on the drive and the condition of the disc.
Decrypt button
Release information
The final version, and why there is no other
DVD Decrypter's release history ends in 2005. Knowing that makes it easier to spot fake “updates” and to set realistic expectations.
-
Version 3.5.4.0 released
The build that became the final release.
-
Development stops
The developer says he received a cease-and-desist letter from Macrovision and will comply.
-
Mirror appears
An unofficial mirror keeps the final version available.
-
ImgBurn released
The burning engine continues as a new program, without decryption.
-
Downloads removed
AfterDawn reports taking the program down after a letter from Macrovision.
Compatibility
Where DVD Decrypter runs
The program is Windows-only and was built for the systems of 2005. Later Windows versions are unofficial but commonly work; other platforms need workarounds.
Settings that help are in the Windows 10 and 11 guide.
| Item | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Operating systems | ||
| Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP | Built for | The Windows generation the program was written for. |
| Windows Vista, 7, 8.x | Unofficial | Released after development ended. Commonly runs, but never tested by the developer. |
| Windows 10, 11 | Unofficial | Often runs with administrator rights and the SPTI interface selected. |
| macOS | No native build | Windows only. Use a Windows virtual machine or a Mac-native tool. |
| Linux | No native build | Can be tried with Wine, with unreliable drive access. Native tools exist. |
| Android, iOS | Not available | No mobile version has ever existed. |
| Media & hardware | ||
| DVD-Video discs | Supported | Single- and dual-layer DVD-Video, the format it was designed for. |
| Recordable DVDs | Supported | Burning image files to blank discs with ISO › Write. |
| Internal & USB DVD drives | Supported | Any drive Windows exposes as a DVD reader; detection depends on the I/O interface. |
| Protection added after 2005 | Limited | Newer copy-protection schemes were never added, so some discs will not copy. |
| Blu-ray & HD DVD | Not supported | Formats the program never handled. |
Installation & setup
Setting up DVD Decrypter
Installation takes a couple of minutes. A few checks first make the first copy much more likely to succeed.
Before you start
- A Windows PC and an account with administrator rights
- An internal or USB DVD drive that Windows recognises
- Up to about 9 GB of free space per dual-layer disc
- A destination formatted NTFS or exFAT for files over 4 GB
- Up-to-date security software to scan the download
-
Download the installer
Use the Download section below. The file is a Windows installer (.exe).
-
Scan it before running
Check the file with your security software before opening it.
-
Run setup
Open the installer, follow the prompts and choose an installation folder. Decline any extra software if offered.
-
Launch with administrator rights
On Windows Vista and later, right-click the shortcut and choose Run as administrator.
-
Confirm the drive is listed
If the source list is empty, open Tools › Settings › I/O and choose the SPTI interface.
Use cases
What people use it for
Whatever the reason, copy only discs you own and only where your local law allows it. For MP4 output, follow the DVD Decrypter to MP4 workflow.
- 01
Archiving discs you own
Keep a copy of your collection on a hard drive or home server, and store the originals safely.
- 02
Rescuing ageing discs
Optical discs scratch and degrade over time. A clean image today protects against a failed disc tomorrow.
- 03
Building a media library
Many software players and media centres can play ISO images and VIDEO_TS folders directly.
- 04
Preparing for conversion
Rip the main movie first, then convert it to MP4 for phones and tablets with a separate encoder.
- 05
Burning an existing image
Write an ISO you already have back to a blank DVD using ISO › Write.
- 06
Learning how DVDs work
Seeing the VOB, IFO and BUP structure is a practical introduction to the DVD-Video format.
Download
Download DVD Decrypter for Windows
The button below downloads a Windows installer for DVD Decrypter, the freeware DVD backup utility. Its last official release was version 3.5.4.0; no later official version exists.
- Windows
- Freeware
- Installer (.exe)
- Final official release: 3.5.4.0
The file is served by a third-party download host that this site does not operate. Scan it before running, and read the safety notes further down this page.
Troubleshooting
Common problems, quick fixes
Match the symptom, apply the fix. For the full list with explanations, read the DVD Decrypter errors and fixes guide.
T01
No drive in the source list
The program opens but shows no DVD drive.
Start it with Run as administrator, then choose SPTI under Tools › Settings › I/O. For USB drives, connect the drive before launching.
T02
CRC or I/O read errors
The copy stops with a read error at a certain point.
Clean the disc from the centre outwards and try another drive. Badly damaged discs may never copy fully.
T03
A newer disc will not copy
Spotless disc, same failure every time.
Likely copy protection added after 2005. No setting fixes this — use a maintained alternative.
T04
Write fails near 4 GB
Image creation stops part-way.
The destination is probably FAT32. Save to an NTFS or exFAT drive, or use File mode.
T05
Copy has no menus
The film plays but the menus are missing.
IFO mode and main-title File copies skip menus by design. Use ISO Read for a complete copy.
T06
Program will not start
Nothing happens, or it closes at once.
Try compatibility mode for Windows XP (SP3) and run it as administrator.
Pros and cons
An honest verdict
Excellent at what it was built for; showing its age everywhere else.
Strengths
- Completely free, with no account or registration
- Clear modes for files, full images or a single title
- Fine control over titles, chapters, audio and subtitles
- Small and quick on modern hardware
- Handles the common protections on discs of its era
Limitations
- No updates since 2005
- Windows only — no Mac or Linux version
- Fails on many discs with newer protection
- No Blu-ray support
- Cannot convert to MP4 or other formats itself
- Legal restrictions apply in some countries
FAQ
DVD Decrypter questions, answered
Twenty straight answers about the program, the download and everyday use.
Section A
About the software
Background, versions and platform questions about the program itself.
DVD Decrypter is a free Windows program, created by LIGHTNING UK!, that copies the contents of a DVD-Video disc to your computer. It can save the disc's files (VOB, IFO and BUP) or a complete ISO image, and it removes restrictions common on discs of its era, such as CSS encryption and region coding.
It was written by a developer known as LIGHTNING UK!. The same developer later released ImgBurn, a disc-burning program based on DVD Decrypter's burning engine.
The final version is 3.5.4.0, released on 21 March 2005. No later official version exists, so anything advertised as a newer release is not the original program.
In June 2005 the developer announced that he had received a cease-and-desist letter from Macrovision and that he would comply by stopping development. The program has not been updated since.
No. Development ended in 2005. It receives no fixes for newer versions of Windows, newer drives or newer copy-protection schemes.
No. DVD Decrypter was only released for Windows. On a Mac you can run it inside a Windows virtual machine, or use Mac-native tools such as MakeMKV and HandBrake instead.
There is no Linux version. It can sometimes be launched with Wine, but drive access is unreliable. Native Linux tools such as dvdbackup, MakeMKV and HandBrake cover the same jobs.
No. It was designed for DVD-Video discs and has never supported Blu-ray or HD DVD.
Both come from the same developer. DVD Decrypter reads and decrypts DVDs as well as burning images; ImgBurn continues the burning side only and cannot remove copy protection from encrypted discs.
No. dvddecrypter.org is an independent information resource. It is not run by or affiliated with LIGHTNING UK!, Macrovision or the ImgBurn project.
Section B
Download, setup & use
Practical questions about getting the program, running it and copying discs.
Yes. DVD Decrypter has always been freeware, with no registration or subscription. Be cautious of any site asking you to pay for it.
It is not officially supported, but it often runs. Running it as administrator and setting the I/O interface to SPTI under Tools › Settings fixes most problems.
It depends on where you live. Some countries restrict removing copy protection from commercial discs, even for personal backups. Check your local law, and only copy discs you own.
The download is provided by a third-party host that this site does not operate. Scan the file with up-to-date security software before running it, and decline any extra software offered during setup.
Not on its own. It saves VOB files or ISO images. To get an MP4, rip the disc first and then convert the main movie with an encoder such as HandBrake.
File mode copies the disc's individual files into a folder, and lets you pick which ones. ISO Read copies the entire disc into a single image file, keeping menus and extras exactly as they are.
Usually it lacks permission or is using the wrong interface. Start it with Run as administrator and select SPTI under Tools › Settings › I/O. For USB drives, connect the drive before opening the program.
The drive cannot read part of the disc, typically because of dirt or scratches. Clean the disc and try another drive. Spotless discs that fail at the same point may use newer protection the program cannot handle.
Plan for the full size of the disc: up to about 4.7 GB for a single-layer DVD and about 8.5 GB for a dual-layer disc. Use an NTFS or exFAT drive for images larger than 4 GB.
MakeMKV is widely used for ripping, HandBrake for converting to MP4, ImgBurn for burning images and VLC for playback. Our alternatives guide compares them in more detail.