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The extract command extracts files, directories, and partitions from GameCube and Wii disc images without needing to mount them.

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Usage

dolphin-tool extract [options]

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Options

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-i FILE, --input=FILE
string
required
Path to the disc image file.
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output
Supported formats:
  • ISO/GCM
  • GCZ
  • WIA
  • RVZ
  • WBFS
Note: WAD and ELF/DOL files are not supported (no filesystem).
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-o FOLDER, --output=FOLDER
string
Path to the destination folder for extracted files.
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./extracted
Required unless using --list without saving output.The output folder will be created if it doesn’t exist.
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-p PARTITION, --partition=PARTITION
string
Extract only a specific partition by name.
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output -p DATA
Common partition names:
  • DATA - Main game data
  • UPDATE - System update partition
  • CHANNEL - Channel partition
Partition names are case-insensitive.
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-s PATH, --single=PATH
string
Extract only a specific file or directory.
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output -s /sys/main.dol
Path format:
  • Must start with /
  • Case-sensitive
  • Use forward slashes / even on Windows
Works with both files and directories.
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-l, --list
flag
List all files in the volume/partition instead of extracting.
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso --list
When combined with -s, lists only the specified path. When combined with -o, saves the listing to the output file.
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-q, --quiet
flag
Suppress progress messages (only show errors).
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output --quiet
Useful for scripting and automation.
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-g, --gameonly
flag
Extract only the DATA partition (game files).
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output --gameonly
Equivalent to -p DATA. Skips UPDATE and CHANNEL partitions.

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Output Structure

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Full Extraction (All Partitions)

dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output
Creates: 
output/
├── DATA/
│   ├── files/
│   │   ├── sys/
│   │   │   ├── main.dol
│   │   │   └── ...
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── sys.img
│   └── ...
├── UPDATE/
│   └── ...
└── CHANNEL/
    └── ...

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Single Partition Extraction

dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output -p DATA
Creates: 
output/
└── DATA/
    ├── files/
    │   └── ...
    └── sys.img

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Single File Extraction

dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output -s /sys/main.dol
Creates: 
output/
└── DATA/
    └── files/
        └── sys/
            └── main.dol

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Examples

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Extract Entire Disc

Extract all partitions and files: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./extracted
Progress output: 
Extracting: /sys/main.dol | 5%
Extracting: /sys/bi2.bin | 10%
...
Finished Successfully!

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Extract Only Game Data

Skip UPDATE and CHANNEL partitions: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./game-data --gameonly
or equivalently: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./game-data -p DATA

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Extract Specific File

Extract just the main executable: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output -s /sys/main.dol

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Extract Specific Directory

Extract entire directory tree: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output -s /files/sound

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List Files Without Extracting

See what’s in the disc: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso --list
Output: 
/// PARTITION: DATA </> ///
/sys/
/sys/main.dol
/sys/bi2.bin
/files/
/files/sound/
/files/sound/bgm.brstm
...

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List Specific Partition

dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso --list -p DATA

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List Specific Directory

dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso --list -s /files/sound
Output: 
/// PARTITION: DATA </files/sound> ///
/files/sound/
/files/sound/bgm.brstm
/files/sound/sfx.brstm

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Save File List to File

dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso --list -o filelist.txt

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Extract Quietly (For Scripts)

dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output --gameonly --quiet
Only errors will be printed.

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Extract from Compressed Image

dolphin-tool extract -i game.rvz -o ./output --gameonly
Works with all supported formats (GCZ, WIA, RVZ, WBFS).

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Partition Types

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GameCube Discs

GameCube discs have no partitions. The entire filesystem is extracted directly: 
dolphin-tool extract -i gamecube.iso -o ./output
Creates: 
output/
├── files/
│   └── ...
└── sys.img

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Wii Discs

Wii discs typically have multiple partitions:

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DATA Partition

Main game data:
  • Game executable (main.dol)
  • Game files and assets
  • Save data
dolphin-tool extract -i wii.iso -o ./output -p DATA

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UPDATE Partition

System update files (if present):
  • System menu updates
  • IOS updates
dolphin-tool extract -i wii.iso -o ./output -p UPDATE

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CHANNEL Partition

Installable channels (rare): 
dolphin-tool extract -i wii.iso -o ./output -p CHANNEL

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File Paths

Paths in disc images use Unix-style forward slashes: 
# Correct
-s /sys/main.dol
-s /files/sound/bgm.brstm

# Incorrect (will not work)
-s \sys\main.dol
-s sys/main.dol
Always:
  • Start with /
  • Use forward slashes /
  • Match case exactly
  • Use directory names as they appear in --list

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Use Cases

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Game Modding

Extract game files for modification: 
# Extract game data
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./mod-source --gameonly

# Modify files...
# Then rebuild with external tools

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Asset Extraction

Extract specific game assets: 
# Extract all sounds
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./sounds -s /files/sound

# Extract all textures
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./textures -s /files/textures

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Executable Analysis

Extract the main executable for reverse engineering: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./analysis -s /sys/main.dol

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File System Inspection

Explore disc contents: 
# List all files
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso --list | less

# Save to file for searching
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso --list -o files.txt
grep ".brstm" files.txt

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Scripting Examples

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Extract from Multiple Images

#!/bin/bash

for iso in *.iso; do
  output="extracted/$(basename "$iso" .iso)"
  echo "Extracting $iso..."
  dolphin-tool extract -i "$iso" -o "$output" --gameonly --quiet
done

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Find and Extract Specific Files

#!/bin/bash

# Find all .dol files
for iso in *.iso; do
  echo "=== $iso ==="
  dolphin-tool extract -i "$iso" --list | grep "\.dol$"
done

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Verify File Existence

#!/bin/bash

IMAGE="game.iso"
FILE="/sys/main.dol"

if dolphin-tool extract -i "$IMAGE" --list | grep -q "^$FILE$"; then
  echo "File exists: $FILE"
  dolphin-tool extract -i "$IMAGE" -o ./output -s "$FILE" --quiet
else
  echo "File not found: $FILE"
fi

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Batch Asset Extraction

#!/bin/bash

for iso in *.iso; do
  name=$(basename "$iso" .iso)
  
  # Extract sounds
  dolphin-tool extract -i "$iso" -o "assets/$name/sound" -s /files/sound --quiet
  
  # Extract models
  dolphin-tool extract -i "$iso" -o "assets/$name/models" -s /files/models --quiet
  
  echo "✓ Extracted assets from $iso"
done

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Error Messages

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”Error: No input image set”

Missing -i option: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output

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“Error: No output folder set”

Missing -o when not using --list, or using --quiet without --output when listing: 
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./output

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“Error: Unable to open disc image”

Check:
  • File exists and path is correct
  • File is a valid disc image
  • You have read permissions

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”Error: Unable to open volume”

File is not a valid GameCube/Wii disc image or is corrupted.

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”Error: Wii WADs are not supported”

WAD files have no filesystem. Cannot extract.

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”Error: *.elf or *.dol have no filesystem”

Executable files have no filesystem. Cannot extract.

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”Error: Found nothing to list”

The specified partition or file does not exist.

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”Error: No file/folder was extracted”

The specified file/folder was not found. Check:
  • Path is correct (case-sensitive)
  • Path starts with /
  • File exists (use --list to verify)

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“Warning: —partition has a value even though this image doesn’t have any partitions”

GameCube images don’t have partitions. Remove -p flag.

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”Maybe you misspelled your specified partition?”

Partition name is incorrect. Use --list to see available partitions.

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Performance

Extraction speed depends on:
  • Storage speed - SSD much faster than HDD
  • Image format - ISO fastest, compressed formats slower
  • Extraction scope - Single files very fast, full disc slower
Typical extraction times:
OperationISORVZ
List files<1s<1s
Single file<1s1-5s
Single directory5-30s10-60s
Full disc1-3 min3-10 min
Times are approximate for typical games

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Limitations

  • No WAD support - Wii WAD files cannot be extracted
  • No ELF/DOL support - Executable files have no filesystem
  • Read-only - Cannot modify or rebuild images

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See Also