Somewhere since 2005, files with the extension ISO, MDF, MDS and other similar files have become popular, but to this day many do not know how to open ISO file.
In fact, all these extensions imply that instead of a physical disk, all the information is contained in one small file.
In the language of professional users, this is all a disk image. That is, it is the same as a regular CD or DVD disc, but without the physical disc itself, without a disc.
The download process itself is as follows:
- Follow the above link. On this page, click the “Download” button (highlighted in Figure No. 1).
- On the next page, select one of the options - download from the official website or from an alternative source.
- After this the download will occur. As soon as it finishes, you should open the downloaded file so that the program begins to install.
This can be done either by opening the file through a browser (in the downloads list), or by opening it in the downloads folder.
As for the first option, for example, in Opera you can do this by clicking on the downloads icon and double-clicking there on the file that relates to our program.
Actually, after this the installation will take place. When it finishes, you can run the program using normal Windows tools.
In the running program, to open the disk image, you just need to click on the “Open” button.
The corresponding icon is responsible for it, which is highlighted in Figure No. 4.
After this, you just need to select the ISO file we need, that is, the disk image using the usual standard Windows tool.
As you can see, everything that is in the image is contained in the window that is highlighted in the figure above.
Accordingly, there we need to open what we need - if it’s an installation file, then we need one that has the extension “.exe”; if it’s some kind of movie, then “.avi”, “.mov” and the like.
As you can see, everything happens very simply and even the most inexperienced user can figure it all out.
Daemon Tools
Another very popular program that opens ISO images in Windows.
There you can find a free version, you only need to buy updates. After following the above link, click on the “Download” button.
To open the files we need, it will be enough to install the regular Lite version, because we are not going to do any special manipulations.
In general, the second one in the list on the above site is the one Lite version.
In the same way downloaded and installed program you should select the icon for opening the image (highlighted in Figure No. 7).
After this, we should select the image we need. True, it will not open in the same Daemon Tools window, but it can be seen in “My Computer” as a regular disk inserted into the drive.
Accordingly, it will be possible to open it there.
However, for this you will still need to run the file added to the program. There is a corresponding launch icon for this.
The window itself with the added image looks as shown in Figure 8. There is also a button to launch the image.
After the image is launched, you should go to “My Computer” and open the contents of the image there. There it will be very easy to find out the disk we need. An example of this is shown in Figure 9.
It is also clear that there is absolutely nothing complicated about how to open an ISO through Daemon Tools.
And, given that such files are now gaining more and more popularity, it’s definitely worth installing such a program on your computer.
7-zip
Surprisingly, ISO can open . Although, of course, very few people know about this today.
On this page we will need to select one of two options – for 32-bit or for 64-bit. They are designed for different systems depending on the bit capacity.
But we can open what we need in a completely normal way - by double-clicking. Also, as we see, there is absolutely nothing complicated.
Let's say you downloaded a movie, game or video from the Internet. Everything went well, the download process is completed and you, in anticipation of your upcoming vacation, try to open the file. But it does not open and, in addition, it does not have the usual .exe or video .avi format for games, but instead has an .iso extension, which is not clear how to open it.
So, how do you open iso files, otherwise known as virtual disk images?
An .iso file is a digital image of an optical disk (either a copy of a real CD/DVD disk or an artificially created disk image).
Considering all the quantity software, which is on this moment exists in the Internet space, it is quite difficult to choose a simple, convenient and most suitable program for your goals. A similar situation is observed with programs for launching and opening .iso files. We have selected five programs that, in our opinion, will be most suitable for solving the given problems. Let's look at how to open an iso file using each of these programs.
WinRAR
One of the most simple programs, which opens iso files, is the well-known WinRAR archiver. Almost all versions of the Windows operating system include this program as part of the standard software set. We will not describe all the properties of the archiver; we will consider only the property we need - opening files that are disk images.
Using the program is quite simple: right-click on the .iso file. A context menu will open in front of you, in which you need to find the “Extract” tab.
The file is automatically opened through WinRAR, which offers a choice of location to extract all content from the disk image. After this, all you have to do is wait until all the information contained in the .iso file is downloaded to the location you specified.
Daemon Tools
Regarding Daemon Tools, we have one - it describes in more detail how to work with this popular program.
Another program that allows you to open and read disk images. It is an emulator that creates virtual drives on a computer through which you can open virtual images disks with .iso resolution. In other words, the program “tricks” the computer into recognizing the .iso file as a disk that is located in a CD/DVD drive.
We will not describe all the intricacies of working with Daemon Tools, we will only consider how to open an iso disk image using this utility:
As the name of the program suggests, it is specifically designed to work with files that are disk images. It's quite easy to work with. Let's look at the process of opening and playing an .iso file in several steps:
Alkohol 120%
Quite a popular and well-known program for opening iso images. It can be used to run or play the contents of .iso files. It is immediately worth noting that the program is more difficult to use for inexperienced users and to play files it is necessary to perform an order of magnitude more actions than in previous programs. In addition, the program is paid, and for permanent use you need to buy a licensed version.
Let's look at how to use Alkohol 120% to open disk images:
Power ISO
Power ISO is a small and easy to use emulator program for playing disc images. It is an extended version of the Ultra ISO program, allowing you to play not only .iso files, but also other image files that have permissions .bin, .mdf, .mdl, .md2-5, etc. The principle of operation of the program is exactly the same as that of Ultra ISO, so we will not re-examine the steps required to open the desired file. We simply repeat the same steps and in the same order as in the Ultra ISO program.
Other programs for opening .iso files
In addition to the above programs, you can use others. As a rule, other programs are not so convenient for inexperienced users, or there is no Russian version of the program, or free version applies only for a certain time. However, if you do not have access to the Internet, but the software allows you to select several options for opening .iso files, you can use programs such as ISOBuster, Roxio Easy Media Studio, WinISO or Gilles Vollant WinImage.
A virtual disk image is extremely necessary for storing very important information. By creating ISO images, you can play any game without having the actual disc. It is enough to create an emulated disk, and then mount it into the drive and you can enjoy the information recorded on it. Today there are dozens of programs from developers from all over the world. Some of them can be purchased, others are distributed completely free of charge. Among such a variety, it is difficult for an inexperienced user to really find useful product. let's consider best options, which offer a software manufacturer for producing a disk image.
Option 1: CDBurnerXP
CDBurnerXP is a powerful utility that works with any disks and images. Capable of writing, overwriting, erasing data on a disk. It is a free product that has proven itself well among users. Allows you to create any boot disks and save multimedia files to your hard drive. CDBurnerXP easily creates a convenient virtual disk with a *.iso extension. Works with multisession disks in all operating systems windows systems(7,8,10). To create a virtual ISO image, the user needs to follow 3 simple steps:
Option 2: ImgBurn
Due to its ease of use and clear interface, this free program can be called one of the most convenient. However, even on the official website you will not find a pure executable file. The standard installer package also contains unwanted software.
If this fact doesn’t bother you or you need a powerful antivirus, feel free to take this application and use it. By the way, no suspicious activity was detected in Windows 10, but you should still be careful. Developer website: www.imgburn.com.
ImgBurn is a functional program with a simple interface. With its help you can create boot disk to install the Windows 7 operating shell. When downloading by default, the program is downloaded to English language, but, if desired, you can always download the crack file from the official source, and then paste the file with the Russian language into the Language folder.
The application can create virtual images from disks and files. Creating an image from a file is very simple: just click on the appropriate icon and add files and directories to create the image.
Option 3: ISO Workshop
ISO Workshop is another application option for creating an ISO image. Simple interface, works with *. cue. Working with files of this format allows you to record album images in uncompressed form.
The main function of ISO Workshop can be considered the ability to record an image, as well as extract from it. The program allows you to check disks for errors and also erase them. Link to the official resource: http://www.glorylogic.com/iso-workshop.html.
Just select “Convert” and the required window will open in front of you
Option 4: Ashampoo Burning Studio
A convenient program with an attractive interface is absolutely free. Supports a number of formats in addition to the well-known ISO. Works with any disks. Creating emulated drives is just one of the functions of Ashampoo Burning Studio. Using this software, you can easily rewrite discs several times and copy any discs. For those who need to create a virtual disk with files, you should follow the following recommendations:
Option 5: UltraISO
It is difficult to analyze utilities without such a giant as UltraISO. The program belongs to the paid representatives of the family of disk drive emulators. Works with a large number of files, creates virtual disks and writes images to a real optical disk.
Questions about how to open an unfamiliar file format sooner or later arise for almost any computer user, because the list of applications initially included in the Windows library does not suit all of them. It happens that after downloading a program, a person receives a disk image instead of the usual file with the .exe extension, which is an application. In this case, it is important to know what you can use to open an ISO and how to use it.
What is an ISO file
An ISO file (ISO, less commonly ISO) is a virtual image of a physical medium - an optical disk, usually in CD or DVD format, containing a copy of all its data. This data can be anything: music, videos, movies, copies of real disks used for convenient installation of applications, and so on. This type of file began to spread quite a long time ago, when it practically did not exist fast internet, and the search for the necessary applications was mainly carried out through disk exchange, then ISO files helped bypass the protection of many programs that required physical media in the drive to be allowed to work with them.
Now virtual disk images are used to distribute large programs (mostly video games) or their packages. In addition to being used for storing data, an ISO image allows you to accurately reproduce the original physical disc. To do this, you need to write the information contained in it onto an empty “blank”.
Programs that open the ISO extension are divided into two types: archivers that can read the contents of a virtual disk, and virtual drive creators that simulate the presence of a disk drive and connect images to it. The first of these are suitable if you just need to access the ISO file or copy its contents to your computer. Its structure is a regular archive with compressed information, so the files it contains can be opened, edited and copied using programs such as 7Zip or WinRar.
The second type of programs is used for more convenient and advanced work with virtual drives and includes applications like Daemon Tools. They can install programs with virtual disks and simulate the presence of media in the drive. They are always recommended to be used if possible, because there is a whole list of virtual drive emulators that are free and convenient even for inexperienced users.
How to open a file with an archiver
By default, most archivers do not associate an image format with them. ISO disk, but you can still open it with their help. To do this, you need to change the program settings. For example, in the WinRar application this is done using the following algorithm:
- Open the archiver, go to the “options” menu and go to the “settings” tab.
- On this tab, go to the “integration” item and in the “Associate WinRar c:” sign, check the box opposite the ISO format, then confirm and save the changes.
- Right-click on the desired ISO file, find the WinRar program icon in the menu that appears and select the “Extract files...” function.
- The image will automatically open in the program, after which all you have to do is point to the desired item on the disk and wait for the extraction to complete. Information from the virtual disk will be installed to the specified location.
You can also open an ISO file using 7-Zip. To do this, just go into the program, click “open” and double-click on the desired image with the left button. In addition, you can right-click on the file itself, select the “open with” function and find the desired archiver in the menu that appears.
The disadvantages of these programs include the fact that they can be used to manipulate files on the image only within the computer. Archivers cannot, for example, copy the Windows installer to a flash drive - this will require the help of more advanced utilities.
Programs for mounting an image
The most popular type of programs that can be used to open ISO format on a computer are virtual drive emulators. They include many useful functions for working with disk images, such as mounting and unmounting them, as well as working with multiple digital media at once. The most famous utility of this type is Daemon Tools, but there are others, such as WinISO, ISOBuster, UltraISO, Roxio Easy Media Studio, Alcohol 120%, Gilles Vollant WinImage and others.
Daemon Tools Lite
The most famous specialized program used for reading ISOs is Daemon Tools. It can be downloaded online from the official website. There is a free version of the utility, called DT Lite, which includes everything you need to work with ready-made images, as well as a paid version, used for more advanced tasks, such as creating new virtual disks and burning them to physical media.
After downloading and installing, the utility automatically creates a virtual drive onto which you can immediately mount disk images. Once mounted, the user can access the ISO files through the My Computer folder as if they were on physical media inserted into the drive. The “artificial” drive, when opened, provides access to all files on the copy of the disk.
The program interface is very simple and friendly even for beginners, but some of them may still need detailed instructions opening an ISO image using Daemon Tools:
- Install the program, run it, click on the “add image” button located at the bottom of the interface. Then find and select the required ISO file in the window that appears - it will be added to the program directory.
- Right-click on the file, then select the “mount” option in the pop-up menu and the desired drive, if there is more than one. Wait for the process to complete. This usually takes a few seconds.
- Go to the virtual disk directory by clicking on the drive icon in the application or through the “My Computer” folder menu. It will contain all files archived on ISO.
With Daemon Tools you can open two or more archives at the same time. To do this, click on the “Add virtual DT drive” or “Add virtual SCSI drive” button. There is not much difference between them, except for the response to some copy protection systems. You can mount a separate disk image in each of the virtual drives.
Ultra ISO
Another good utility for media emulation is a small program under the self-explanatory name Ultra ISO. It is worth noting that it works not only with ISO, but also with other image file formats, for example .bin, .mdl, .cue, .mdf, .isz (its special format) and others - there are 30 extensions in total. To open an ISO image using it, you need to follow these steps:
- Download, install and run the program.
- Select the “file” tab, in which click on the “open” option that appears, then find the desired ISO image and double-click on it.
- Files from the disk will appear on the right side of the Ultra ISO window, from where they can be expanded or extracted to the desired directory on your computer.
The main advantage of the utility is the ability to immediately extract all files from the image or start recording it to a blank. To do this, you just need to select the “burn files to CD” option in the top menu of the application.
Alcohol 120%
Another application that allows you to open an ISO extension is Alcohol 120%, which has also gained some popularity among users. Unlike DT and UltraISO, it is paid (with the exception of the trial version), and is also more complex to use, but in return it has some functions that are not available to other utilities. In order to open an image using it, you need to:
- Download and run the Alcohol 120% installation application. During it, the program will prompt the user to create a new virtual drive - you must agree to this.
- After installation is complete, reboot the system. Upon completion of the OS restart, a new one created by the utility will be added to the existing physical drives on the device.
- Find the ISO file in the directory on your computer, right-click on it and select the “mount” option from the pop-up menu.
- In the window that opens after this, point to the desired file - Alcohol 120% will autostart, in which you can view, extract or edit the contents of the image.
Using programs to view ISO files is a simple task that even a novice computer user can handle. There are many utilities for this, each with its own features, pros and cons. You need to choose the right one based on the purpose and frequency of its use by the individual.
Last week we asked you to share your favorite disk image tools, then we rounded up the five most popular responses for a vote. Now we"re back to highlight your favorite. DAEMON Tools led the pack by a comfortable margin with 40% of the vote.
Softpedia.com DAEMON Tools Lite is a software solution that will impress you, especially thanks to its advanced features that can deal with virtually all image formats on the market. Reliable application that creates virtual drives on your computer, providing you with the possiblity to emulate CDs and DVDs for instant access.
PCWorld.com If you spend a lot of time swapping and hence waiting on CDs or DVDs to mount, Daemon Tools Lite is worth its weight in gold. Even if you don"t, it"s a program you should download to keep in your bag of tricks--you"ll find a use for it eventually.
Download.com The advantage is that you can burn the images you"re using with DAEMON Tools Lite right away or just test an image before burning it to see if it was created correctly. DAEMON Tools Lite works with most image formats.
Filecluster.com Pros
- Small and highly stable program.
- Low resource requirements.
- Simple and functional interface...
Software.Informer.com DAEMON Tools Lite manages to be more comprehensive and feature-rich than many of its competitors. And that's quite remarkable, especially considering that DAEMON Tools Lite is free while many of its competitors are not.
downloads.tomsguide.com As a disc imaging tool, Daemon Tools Lite"s free nature automatically makes it a lot better than many competing applications simply because it offers most of what they offer at the vastly reduced price of free.
www.techadvisor.co.uk When you have a disc that you know you"ll need to access regularly, then, DAEMON Tools Lite allows you to create an image in just a couple of clicks. This then shows up in its Image Catalog for speedy reloading later, and you can put the real disc away.
techgyd.com Daemon Tools Lite is one of the best software for emulating and organizing your disc images. The software is very easy to use and fulfills all your disc related requirements. The virtual drives support is amazing.
maddownload.com If you are looking for the best software to work with ISO, MDX, MDS, and MDX files? Well, you have come to the right place. DAEMON Tools Lite is an easy and ready to use downloadable software compatible with Windows. It is well known reputable software that gives you the power of having a DVD-ROM emulator right into the comfort of your own home.
GIGA.de Mit dem Daemon Tools Lite Download könnt ihr virtuelle Images erstellen, speichern und einbinden sowie virtuelle Laufwerke emulieren.