Newbie questions about image files

[tgc225]

I have read through various forums about people trying to make a backup copy of Max Payne 2, and that very few people have had success doing so. I was not able to make one with my Lite-On LDW-411s as well.

Now, someone else mentioned that a much easier alternative would be just to make an image file of the disc, and burn it onto a CD. Then if you didn't want to use the original copy, you could just extract the image file, install it, and use a crack. That forum doesn't allow crack discussion so I decided to post my questions here:

1) Is wha that person said above correct? Can you just make image files of the disc?

2) If yes, what is the best image format to use? CCD, BWI, MDS, ISO, BIN/CUE? There seems to be a different image format for every kind of burning program. Since I don't need to burn the image back onto a CD, can I just copy all the files from the original folder into a folder on my hard drive and make a RAR file out of it?

Thanks! It would be nice to make a lot of image files and save them for archival purposes on a burned DVD disc.