In this tutorial I will show you how to open an ISO file. We will learn how to view and mount it using built-in Windows tools, using special programs for your computer and applications for your phone.
ISO is the most popular optical disc image format. It maintains a file system structure into which all data is copied, including boot areas of the media.
Therefore, boot images are usually placed in ISO format for subsequent recording to a disk or flash drive and subsequent installation when the computer starts.
WinRAR
Download the unpacker from the official website and install it on your system. After installation, if you right-click on the image, you will see additional control points - click on the “Open in WinRAR” button.
Next you will see all the archive files that you can unpack into a separate folder - to do this, click “Extract” and then specify the location where the program will unzip the data.
ISODisk
The next tool on this list is called ISODisk. This free software will allow you to create multiple virtual disks, the number of which can increase up to 20. Apart from this, you can also mount the ISO file that you want to burn.
The program works automatically, it will immediately have access to the files inside the ISO. You can also create an ISO file from a CD or DVD.
Download link: https://www.isodisk.com
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7-Zip
- You can download the free archiver from this link. Download the installer for your OS and the required bit depth. I also recommend using the regular and non-Alpha version.
- After installation, the ISO opens in the same way as with the previous program - right-click on the file, then click on the 7-Zip program from the list and select options.
- You can simply open or unzip the data.
gBurner Virtual Drive
gBurner Virtual Drive is another very powerful editing tool that will help you create multiple CD or DVD drives and also allow you to manage them. The program is equipped with advanced features and makes it very easy to create virtual disks. You will be able to mount ISO files of different formats. Like WIM, VMDK, VHD and VDI.
Download link: https://www.gburner.com/index.htm
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Daemon Tools
The program can be found on the official website. I recommend using the Lite version as it is currently free. Plus, it allows you to work with disk images without any problems. During installation, you will be asked to install virtual drive drivers - agree and complete the installation.
After installation, similarly go to additional. file menu, click “Mount in” - and then select the drive. It doesn't matter which drive you choose.
You can also open the image through the program menu - on the home page, select the main item.
After that, click on the button with the disk below.
Now we find and launch our image by clicking on the “Open” button. If you have the autorun function, the disk will start immediately. If this function is not available, then go to “Explorer” or “Computer” and open the mounted disk.
How to open ISO? Programs for working with ISO
ISO is the most convenient and easy-to-use format for creating exact copies of the contents of any optical discs (CD, DVD5, DVD9, BD), be it games, films, software or operating systems. The format allows you to read and copy any data from optical media: main content, information about the file system, directory structure, file attributes and even boot information, thanks to which this format even allows you to create images of boot disks.
Image files created in this format are very convenient to store and transfer to any internal/external storage devices or subsequently record again on optical discs, as well as upload to the Internet or, conversely, download from the network. But the most important thing is that the ISO is guaranteed to preserve intact all the contents of any image file you have created or simply stored for a long time. In addition, electronic disk images can be used like real ones (read data, install programs and games from them, watch movies, etc.), without resorting to a real “turntable” at all - you just need to use a virtual drive ( program that replaces CD/DVD/BD-ROM).
Today, there are a huge number of specialized utilities for opening and launching exhausted disk images: Daemon tools lite, Alcohol 120, Ultraiso, Poweriso, Winiso, Isobuster, MagicISO and many others. You can download the best of them for free from this set of programs.
ISO files are very common on the Internet, but when downloading such a file, many people have a question about how and how to open an ISO file on a computer. In this format, the younger generation most often downloads game disc images from various file hosting services and torrents. You cannot simply open an ISO file in Windows, since this requires a special program. In this article, we will look at the most common methods and programs with which an ISO disk image can be opened, unzipped, or burned to a DVD, obtaining a copy of the original disk.
How to open an iso file? | Video lesson
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The utility works approximately the same way. First you need to add the image itself; to do this, click on “File” from the top menu and select “Open”.
We find our file and open it.
Now it will be displayed in the main area; to use it, right-click and then select “Mount to device”.
How to extract ISO file on Windows 10 and 8?
Which program to open an ISO game file on Windows 8 or 10? In this case, you won’t have to install anything. After all, you can run it without any third-party software. All you need to do is select the file and double-click on it with the left mouse button. After this, the image will be mounted and the autorun window will open. Don't forget to unmount it at the end. To do this, open “My Computer”, select the virtual disk drive, right-click and select “Eject”.
That's all. Now you know how you can launch an ISO extension on Windows 7, 8 and 10. And if you download movies or games with this extension again, you can easily open them.
Ultra ISO
The application is paid, but has a trial period, which should be enough. Go to “Tools” and click “Mount to virtual drive”.
Now click on the button with three dots, select our file and as soon as it starts to appear on the left, click on the “Mount” button. Let me remind you that in this way we unpack the ISO file and mount it into a virtual drive - this is where all the information stored on the disk will be displayed, with which you can work.
What is a file extension?
Let's first try to answer the question - What is a file extension? File extension (English filename extension) are the characters that are added at the end to the file name. The extension is separated from the file name by a dot. Used to recognize the file type (format) by software and the user. As an example, I will give a number of extensions that are typical for file types in operating systems of the Windows family and not only:
- .exe - executable file
- .msi is an installation file that is used to install programs.
- .doc (docx)/.xls (xlsx) - extensions of Word and Exell documents included in the Microsoft Office software package
- .txt is a simple text file that can be executed by a regular text editor - Notepad.
- .mp3, .flac, .ape, .ogg, .waw, .ac3, .wma, .m4a, .aac and other formats are an audio audio (digital) file that is executed by players not only Windows, but also other OSes.
- .avi, .wmw, .mkv, .3gp, .flv, .mpeg, .mp4, .mov, .vob - video files that are executed by video players.
- .bmp, .jpg(jpeg), .png, .gif, .tiff, .ico, .raw are image file format extensions.
There are a lot of file types. It is impossible to list them all. Some programs use their own file format, which is known only to it.
How to show file extensions in Windows 10?
How can I make the file name display its extension at the end? By default, this feature is disabled in Windows. To enable display of file extensions (using Windows 10 as an example):
- Go to any folder, select the View tab and click on the Options button.
- From the drop-down menu, select Change folder and search options
- A window will open in which go to the View tab. Scroll down the slider and uncheck Hide extensions for known file types on the left.
- Click on the Apply button and OK
After all these manipulations, at the end of the file name after the dot you will see its extension.
How to change the file extension?
Now that you know how to show a file extension, it’s time to find out how to change the file extension in Windows (by the way, if you don’t enable the display of file extensions, you won’t be able to change the file extension either)? You can change the file extension when changing the file name. For example, an image file photo.jpg. You can rename it to photo.png. Image display programs will still open it. But not all types of files can just change the extension. For most files, the format itself will not change. By changing the extension in this way, you simply indicate to the system that this is a file of a different format, but in fact the format has not changed. For example, if you change the extension of the archive file .rar to the extension of the audio format .mp3 in this way, the system will try to play such a file with an audio player. But since the structure and structure of the file has not changed, the audio player will not be able to read it. If you return the original extension, archivers will easily open it.
Pros of splitting files into types (formats)
When a user opens a file with a registered extension, it is automatically executed by the program corresponding to this extension. In addition to the extension, icons help identify the file format. For all files with a registered extension, the system usually has its own icon - a miniature image that is associated with a specific application that works with files of this format. Here are examples of icons for popular programs on Windows. Icon for files with the extension .doc (docx) Icon for files with the extension .xls (xlsx) Multimedia files that open in Windows Media Player. Archived (compressed) files with the .rar extension With the help of these icons, we immediately understand what kind of file format is in front of us.
Results
Today you put another brick in your wall of computer knowledge. Now you know about file extensions, how to show them and how to change them. You also know that if you simply change the file extension in the name, then essentially the file format itself (its structure and structure) does not change, that is, you cannot simply change the extension in the file name from an image to an audio file and vice versa. I hope this knowledge will help you correctly navigate the world of formats, file types, extensions, of which there are a huge variety.
Pismo File Mount
Pismo File Mount is another valid program that can mount ISO files on a Windows PC. You can conveniently mount ZIP, ISO, Compact ISO files and even convert them to different systems on virtual disks created by the program.
Virtual disks can be configured. The program supports ISO and CISO file systems, and also converts them into disk space very easily.
Download link: https://pismotec.com/pfm/
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Windows 11
The whole world is gradually moving to version 11 of the OS, so for clarity, we will repeat everything on it. The principle of operation is similar and does not require the installation of additional software, everything is already available in the system itself.
- Just find the image - right mouse button - connect (also note that a connection option has also appeared on the top of the panel);
- A new device has automatically appeared.
Also, do not forget that after you have completed everything necessary, you will need to turn off the device, and this is done very simply. In the top panel, just click on “Disable” (see screenshot below):
If you need more capabilities beyond viewing and emulation, you will need to install specialized software. Next we will talk about it.
If you cannot find a suitable option for yourself, be sure to contact us using the feedback form. We will try to find something for you that will help solve the main problem. To do this, describe in detail your requirements and nuances, if any. We will supplement our material and also send our recommendations to you by email.
ImDisk Toolkit
ImDisk is a very simple tool. There aren't many extra features here, but all your basic needs will be covered. The tool simply makes it easy to mount any image files from your hard drive or CD. The program is also customizable. The user interface is also simple and attractive.
Download link: https://sourceforge.net/projects/imdisk-toolkit/
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DVDFab Virtual Drive ISO Mount
DVDFab Virtual Drive is one of the free tools provided by DVDFab Suite. The program is very easy to use and can create up to 18 virtual disks at the same time. All drives are accessible and it can mount 8 different types of image files.
It is a multifunctional program that is compatible with numerous versions of Windows.
Download link: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/download/did/2029/
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