• Read iso disk image. How to open an ISO file - All possible ways

    Almost all newcomers to the “computer” world ask the same popular question: how to open an ISO file? After all, it is in this format that images of games and operating systems are stored. Standard Windows tools do not allow you to open a file with the .iso extension, so you have to resort to third-party programs, including many free utilities.

    What is an ISO file?

    Essentially, an ISO file is a disk image (CD or DVD) made by some program. This is a kind of archive that stores all the information about the contents of the disk, as well as the files themselves. In fact, you can create any disk image, be it a DVD with a game/movie or a CD with music. But in most cases, games and operating system distributions are stored in images.

    Imagine the situation: they brought you a disc with a game. You didn't have a blank disk at hand, so you burned the image to an ISO file. After you purchase a blank disc, the image can be burned onto it using the appropriate programs, and you will receive a complete copy of the original disc.

    Ways to open ISO files

    Essentially, all methods of opening disk images can be classified into two groups:

    • opening files with archivers,
    • use of special programs for disk virtualization/emulation.

    In the first case, the file will actually open. The user will be presented with the disk structure. It is recommended to open images in this way when you need to extract a file from the disk. For example, you need to “pull” drivers from a Windows distribution.

    In the second case, the disk image will be emulated as if you had an analogue disk in your drive.

    Using archivers

    You can open ISO files with two popular archivers – 7Zip and WinRar. It is better to download archiver distributions from offsites:

    We install the archiver, find the ISO file we need on the screw and right-click on it. Select “Open with Winrar/7Zip” and that’s it – the image is open. You can open any file from the image and save it to your PC.

    Select the Russian version (next to the Russian flag) and download the utility.

    When installing the program, do not uncheck the “Install ISO emulator” checkbox.

    When you open Ultra ICO, you will see the following window:

    There is a "File" button in the top corner. Click on it and then select “Open”.

    We indicate the path to the image and in the program window we see the open ISO file.

    If you need to virtualize a disk, then open “My Computer”. You will see a new virtual drive - this is the ISO emulator. Right-click on it and select “Ultra ISO >> Mount”. We indicate the path to the file - and that’s it. The disk will be successfully mounted.

    Working with Daemon Tools Lite

    As in the case of Ultra ISO, open the official Daemon website http://www.daemon-tools.cc/rus/downloads and download the utility.

    We install the software and at one of the steps indicate the “Free license” item.

    After installing the utility, the program icon will appear in the lower right corner (in the tray next to the clock) - a blue circle with a lightning bolt.

    Right-click on it and select “Virtual drives >> Add virtual SCSI drive.” In a couple of minutes you will have a new virtual drive, just like in Ultra ISO.

    After the drive appears, click on the icon again and select the items: “Virtual drives >> Drive 0 >> Mount image.” We specify the path to the ISO file, and that’s it.

    This video describes in detail and interestingly how to mount images:

    Undoubtedly, it is better to use Daemon Tools Lite, since this program is free and does not have a trial period. If you need to quickly extract a file from an image, then WinRar will help you.

    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 there was practically no 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 the presence of 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 from 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 the ISO disk image format with them, 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:

    1. Open the archiver, go to the “options” menu and go to the “settings” tab.
    2. 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.
    3. Right-click on the desired ISO file, find the WinRar program icon in the menu that appears and select the “Extract files...” function.
    4. The image will automatically open in the program, after which all that remains is to indicate 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 for opening an ISO image using the Daemon Tools utility:

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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:

    1. Download, install and run the program.
    2. Select the “file” tab, in which click on the “open” option that appears, then find the desired ISO image and double-click on it.
    3. 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:

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. Find the ISO file in the directory on your computer, right-click on it and select the “mount” option from the pop-up menu.
    4. 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.

    Today, progress covers all areas of technological development, technologies are constantly changing and improving. As a result, optical media are practically no longer used. But files with the ISO extension, called images, are becoming more and more popular.

    The secret is that they contain a complete copy of the file system structure. And this, in turn, provides great advantages in transferring and duplicating information, and is also used to obtain an exact copy.

    What is it

    Unlike conventional copying, which is not capable of transferring system data, the image completely duplicates the structure of the file system from the physical media, repeating exactly the structure of the data and information about it.

    The main goals of creating the iso format and ways of using it in everyday life are:

    • creating a backup copy of the CD - this was the original idea for creating the image;
    • backup. The ability to fully duplicate made it possible to recover lost data or system partitions in an instant;
    • often used for storing virtual machines and disks (mainly for installing several operating systems on a PC). Such images are also called virtual;
    • Anyone who borrowed a Windows operating system from a friend to reinstall could notice that the recording was made on a simple DVD, despite the fact that it was installable and multi-bootable. Most often, the iso format is used for the following purposes: distributing software, as well as copying games and films;
    • those who have been involved in company maintenance and equipment technical support know that most user computers are assembled using the same configuration, down to monitors and mice. In this area, an exact copy of the system with pre-installed drivers and a basic set of programs is indispensable for work.

    Working with format

    As a rule, the image of a disk or partition is in iso format, although occasionally others may be found. The remaining file extensions are most often specialized and are used for opening or writing only through one of the programs that created them.

    Whereas iso can be opened by any program that works with images, or you can view the contents using one of the well-known archivers, such as Winzip, Winrar. But in order to clone a disk, you need to use special software.

    Burning

    The process of recording any data onto physical media using software or standard Windows tools is called burning. In order to transfer a disk image to another user, you need to decide how to burn the iso onto a CD or DVD.

    In operating systems from Microsoft, without the use of additional software, the ability to work with ISO type formats appeared not so long ago:

    • Windows XP – it is possible to burn regular data;
    • Windows 7 – recording is possible;
    • Windows 8 – it is possible to mount an iso disk and work with it as if it were a physical one.

    Despite this support in new operating systems, it is more convenient to use additional programs as a burning tool, for example, UltraISO or Nero.

    Video: Open a disk image

    Create and copy

    Copying an exact copy of a disk onto physical media and then burning a copy of it is called cloning. File sharing servers and torrents are filled with images of all kinds of disks with programs, games and operating systems, providing the opportunity to download them for free.

    But if you need to create an exact copy in order to clone some information from physical media, you need to use one of the programs:


    Let's look at Daemon Tools as an example.

    In order to start creating a virtual clone for an optical or physical (partition or flash drive) storage medium, you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Mounting the image

    Let's figure out what to do with the downloaded or created iso file. In order to see the entire structure of the disk, you need to mount the image using software, then your computer will consider the virtual disk to be a real device.

    If your operating system version is lower than version 8, you will need to use one of the image reading programs. The most convenient and easy to understand will be Daemon Tools.

    When you start, the software itself will offer to mount one or more disks of your choice. The program itself will also try to find all the images stored on your computer. If it doesn’t work, or you are mounting from a flash drive, you can always specify the path.

    If you don't yet know how many virtual disks you need, don't worry. You can always replace one image with another, or connect another one.

    To do this, right-click on the tray icon (next to the clock) and select the item in the menu called Mount image (in the Russian version - mount).

    What program opens iso

    This format is very popular, and there is a large list of software from different developers to work with it. Software can be divided into three types according to purpose.

    Let's look at the best iso opening programs:

    • Designed for creating, mounting images, as well as editing them:
    1. UltraIso;
    2. Daemon Tools;
    3. Magic Disc;
    4. Virtual Clone Drive;
    5. Gizmo Drive.
    • Designed mainly for writing data to optical discs, including images:

    • Archiving programs(working with files of this type is not one of the main functions, but it is possible to view data about and get the necessary information):
    1. Winrar;
    2. winzip;

    You can also use Total Commander to view and copy content. Each of these programs is good in its own way and works with a large number of formats. But I would like to especially highlight two of them as the most convenient and practical.

    Ultra ISO

    When choosing software for working with ISO files, you need to pay attention to simplicity and ease of use.

    However, the number of useful options is also important, and UltraISO has quite a lot of them:

    • creating exact copies of optical and flash drives, as well as entire hard drives and their partitions (up to 50 GB), floppy disks (up to 2 GB);
    • opening ISO files;
    • editing, adding, deleting, creating folders and files;
    • ability to use different levels of ISO 9660 and Joliet;
    • improvement and work with file structure;
    • creating all kinds of installation boot disks with any operating systems, and editing their parameters;
    • ability to extract boot sectors.

    Daemon tools

    The DAEMON Tools program is designed more for opening and managing virtual drives within the system.

    In terms of convenience and speed of mounting and unmounting disks, it can be safely put in first place. It is possible to create up to four drives and control the replacement with a single button.

    Among the advantages of this program, compared to others, I would like to highlight:

    • automatic search for images on a computer;
    • connection when the system boots;
    • you can create four disks that are indistinguishable from real ones;
    • the program is capable of working with formats that a regular DVD-Rom will not read, for example, PlayStation, X-BOX, GameCube.

    Working with virtual copies of disks is much faster and more convenient than working with physical media, and here's why:


    When choosing software for working with disk images, pay attention to programs on your computer such as UltraISO and DAEMON Tools. Thanks to their functionality, quality of work and high data processing speed, they are the best among their analogues.

    The question of opening certain types of files arises among computer users all the time, since not every extension is supported by a standard set of programs preinstalled in the operating system.

    What are ISO files for?

    My acquaintance with ISO files began at a time when finding programs on the Internet was a big problem, and low speed and expensive traffic put an end to any attempts at online downloading.

    People used the disks and actively copied them from each other. There was one problem with this process - many disks had protection. Games did not play without a disc inserted into the CD or DVD drive, and autorun was required to install programs. In a word, you couldn’t just take and copy files - you needed the disk itself.

    During this period, programs appeared that imitated a disk drive, creating its virtual analogue, and the files they worked with received the ISO extension.

    An ISO file is a CD or DVD image file that contains, in a packed form, all the data that is present on its physical original (optical disc). In addition to storing a disk image, using files in this format allows you to create an exact digital copy of the original by recording the data onto a blank CD-RW or DVD-RW.

    Most often, ISO files are used to distribute large assemblies of programs, or for versions of large paid products such as Windows, Microsoft Office, Photoshop, games, etc.

    Programs that open ISO files

    Two types of programs are used to open image files: archivers and disk drive emulators.

    1. Archivers

    These are programs that work with archive files. The main purpose of archives is to compress information or combine a large number of different files into one to make it more convenient to transfer it somewhere. These include WinRar, 7Zip and some others.

    The structure of the ISO file is identical to other archive formats, therefore, it is supported by the above archivers.

    2. CD/DVD drive emulators

    The purpose of these programs is not to work with files inside disk images, but to create virtual disks and mount image files (ISO) instead of physical storage media. Emulators are not designed to edit or work with individual files within an image.

    How to open an ISO disk image file with WinRar?

    In the article “” I already talked about this archiver and its capabilities, so if you decide to get to know it in more detail, go there. We are now interested in how to open an ISO using it.

    Since your ISO files do not have the typical WinRar icon in the form of a stack of books, I assume that you do not have an archiver installed or this file type is not included in its settings as a characteristic one.

    1. If the archiver is not installed

    You need to download it from the official website – win-rar.ru/download/

    After running the installation file, you will be asked which files to associate with WinRar. If you want to automatically open ISO files with this program, then check this box.

    Now all image files will have a corresponding icon and will be automatically opened by the archiver when double-clicked.

    The program allows you to make changes to the contents of the archive - delete, add and edit files.

    2. If WinRar is already installed and the ISO does not open

    The files are designated as unidentified, which means the files are not associated with the program. In this case, it is possible to manually select WinRar when opening a file or change the program settings so that it understands the ISO by default.

    To change the settings, launch the archiver. Press the key combination Ctrl+S or select the “Options” tab in the top menu and “Settings” in it.

    In the settings, we need the last tab, code-named “Integration” - the treasured plate with the types of associated files is hidden in it. Check the ISO box and click OK.

    We have found out how to open a file to extract the necessary data from it and make changes, now let’s move on to using it as an image.

    How to run an ISO file with Daemon Tools Lite

    To work with image files for their intended purpose, you can use not only this program; there are a number of applications that create virtual disks and use ISO images; free versions of each of them are approximately identical in capabilities and user interface.

    I’m comfortable using Daemon Tools Lite because it’s officially free (no need to pay, look for pirated versions and various cracks), and, most importantly, I’m used to it.

    Installing the program

    Official website for downloading the application – daemon-tools.cc/rus/products/dtLite

    You download the installation file from there, when you launch it you will be asked to install a free version of the program with advertising or pay a small fee to use a clean product.

    During the installation process, you may be asked a few more questions (something changes depending on the version of the program). In particular, you can choose which shortcuts to put in the system, whether to allow statistics data to be transferred, and which files to associate with this application automatically.

    During installation, you may be prompted to install software for different types of controllers - they are not required, but may be useful.

    First launch

    Your first launch of the program will occur immediately after installation, unless you refuse this action by unchecking the box. When you launch it for the first time, Daemon tools will offer to scan all your hard drives (HDD) to search for suitable files (ISO and other related ones). I recommend removing all unnecessary checkboxes and leaving only ISO.

    At the end of the scan, the main interface of the program will open, where the image files that were found during scanning will be located in the central part.

    Program interface

    At the top right is a search window and “+” for searching and adding new images.

    At the bottom are icons of active virtual disks, and on the left is a menu for management (which you can do without).

    In order to launch an ISO file with Daemon Tools, you need to select it with the mouse and drag it to the virtual disk in the bottom panel. The image will be instantly mounted into the drive and autorun will occur if it was provided for by this file.

    All virtual disks are perceived by the system as normal and are displayed in the “My Computer” list.

    You can log into such a disk and browse through the folders, just like with a regular disk.

    How to turn on multiple drives at the same time

    Daemon Tools can open several ISO files at the same time, mounting images into different virtual disks. This means that it is not necessary to extract one file before installing another - you can run at least all found image files at the same time.

    To do this, when selecting the desired image file, do not drag it to the disk in the bottom panel, but click on the “Mount” link in the left menu.

    In this case, a new virtual CD/DVD drive will be automatically created and the disk image will be installed into it.

    Other useful features

    The “Quick Mount” icon allows you to add images to the drive directly through Explorer, even if they are not in the list of found ones.

    To extract files and to delete virtual disks, you need to right-click on the disk with the desired letter and select “Unmount” or “Delete”, respectively.

    The paid version of the program has a lot more functions related not to opening ISO images, but to creating and burning them on physical disks. If you need these functions, you can connect them by paying a certain amount.

    We are done for today, I hope that now you will not have problems opening ISO files and launching other types of images.

    People with little experience using a personal computer often wonder: how to open, mount an image, iso file, how to create an image, what programs exist for this? In this article we will go from afar, look at how to run an iso file and the best programs that work with such data.

    A file with the .iso extension is an electronic virtual analogue of an optical disk, which is an electronic document with its own file system and contains certain information.

    An Iso image in the operating system can be attached like an ordinary optical disk. There are quite a lot of variations in the use of files of this type, ranging from installing various programs, games, and ending with special programs that can only work from an optical disk.

    Advantages of ISO images

    • using iso files means saving space on your computer; these electronic documents can always be written to a medium, freeing up space;
    • when creating an image, data compression occurs, which also has a positive effect on the memory of a personal computer;
    • It's no secret that optical media have their own service life and can fail at the most inopportune and crucial moment. In this case, creating and storing an iso file is the key to solving a possible problem.

    Programs for working with images

    Daemon Tools

    I am sure that this program is known to everyone who has ever encountered a computer. It is simple, ergonomic, has a free version, and does not require a large amount of computer resources.

    You can download it from the official website http://www.disk-tools.com/download. Lite is the free version of the program.

    After downloading, carry out the installation, just like any program, just be sure to select “Free license”, check the SPDT box and reboot the computer after installation.

    You must choose a free license

    Install the version with extended emulation (required)

    After the PC is restarted, Daemon Tools will appear in the tray, near the clock. Open the program and in the window, right-click and select “Add file”, find the iso file you are interested in and click “Open”.

    Add the image that we will mount

    We carry out installation

    The mounted image will be located in the “My Computer” category.

    The mounted virtual drive is ready

    After all the procedures have been completed, you can install the game, the program, and also view all the files that are on this image. Working with a virtual disk is no different from working with regular optical CDs or DVDs that we are used to using every day.

    Ultra ISO

    Another option for a convenient and easy-to-use program. On the official website it is possible to purchase a paid version, but on the Internet you can easily find a free analogue.

    To open the image, launch the program and click on the “Open” item.

    Open the files necessary for mounting

    You must specify the path to the iso file; as a result, you can view the contents of the virtual disk in the program window.

    Contents of our image

    So that we can perform any actions with the file we are interested in, right-click on it and select “Extract” and select the directory where to save it.

    How to extract the required file from the image

    Any electronic document in iso format can be opened with almost any modern archiver - 7Zip, WinRar and others. You can run the archiver separately and then select the file, specifying the path to it, or right-click on the desired image, select “Open with”, find the archiver you are interested in in the list of suggested programs.

    WinRar

    You can download the program at http://www.win-rar.ru/download/. Install it like a regular program, launch the image according to the algorithm described above.

    How to open an image using WinRar

    As a result, a list of all files that are present on the iso document will be shown. You can unpack them individually or all together into a specially selected folder on your personal computer.

    7Zip

    Another similar option for working with images through an archiver. 7Zip is free and very easy to use. You can download it from the official website: http://7-zip.org.ua/ru/.

    After installation, open the archiver. It is similar to standard Windows Explorer.

    7Zip is similar to standard File Explorer

    To work with an iso image, you need to go to the folder in which it is located and select it. It will open like a regular folder.

    To extract a file from an ISO document, select it and click “Extract”.

    How to extract an image from an archiver

    The ease of use of archivers compared to special programs is questionable. It is more convenient and easier to mount an image than to open an iso file in an archiver. After this, you can also work with any files from the mounted virtual disk. The only reason I decided to go with this option is the lack of specialized software for working with images, like Daemon Tools, the reluctance to install these programs or the lack of need for them. For example, if the user does not work with images, but he needs to open a document with an iso file one time. Then the option of using an archiver that is always at hand will be very useful.

    How to create an ISO image

    Let's look at free programs that can help you create an iso image from files. Creating a file with an iso extension, usually a disk with Windows or any other software, is a very simple task. The main condition is the availability of a utility with the necessary functionality. Considering that this software is freely available and in large quantities, choosing a suitable program will not be difficult.

    Ashampoo Burning Studio Free

    A free utility for burning discs, as well as for creating images. Ashampoo Burning Studio Free is one of the best and most suitable programs for most users who are interested in this issue. The utility works on Windows 7, 8 and 10.

    Advantages of this program:

    • absence of unnecessary accompanying software and Adware;
    • the presence of a simple, accessible and understandable interface in Russian; to carry out any actions you will not need any action manuals.

    In the main menu of Ashampoo Burning Studio Free you can see a list of tasks that are currently available. If you click on the “Disk Image” item, the following options will be available (the same is available in the “File – Disk Image” menu):

    Main menu of the program, select Disk Image

    • burn an image (burn a disk image to a DVD or CD);
    • create an image (make an iso file from an existing CD, DVD or Blu-Ray disc);
    • create an image from selected files;

    Select “Create an image from files” (this is the option that will interest us). From the available choices: CUE/BIN, Ashampoo's own format or a regular ISO image, select the latter.

    Select the required format

    Adding the necessary files and folders is the main stage of creating an iso file. The interface is extremely clear and accessible - you can see: on what disk and what size, the created ISO can be written to.

    Adding files to the future image

    Creating an ISO file using Ashampoo Burning Studio Free is easy. The program is very functional: in addition to burning images, it can copy discs, make backup copies of data, and also record music and movies. You can download Ashampoo Burning Studio Free from the official website https://www.ashampoo.com/ru/rub/pin/7110/burning-software/Ashampoo-Burning-Studio-FREE.

    CDBurnerXP

    CDBurnerXP is a free and convenient program with a Russian-language interface, with which you can burn discs and create their images. Works with Windows XP, 7 and 8.1. One of the best utilities for creating iso files.

    To create an image, you need to perform a few simple steps:


    You can download CDBurnerXP from the official website https://cdburnerxp.se/ru/download. During installation, please note that the installer will offer to install additional software.

    ImgBurn

    ImgBurn is a free utility for creating ISO images. You can download it from www.imgburn.com. The program is distinguished by ease of use, a clear interface and great functionality; even an inexperienced user will understand it the first time. By the way, Microsoft support recommends using this utility to create a bootable Windows disk. The program is installed in English, but a Russian-language file is available for download on the official website. The unpacked archive must be extracted to the Language folder, which is located in the folder with the ImgBurn program.

    English version of the program

    Choose to create an image from disk

    How the ImgBurn utility will be useful:

    • can create iso images from suitable files. It is possible to specify one or more folders and create images with them;
    • create an iso file from a disk (you can also create a bootable Windows image from the operating system distribution);
    • burn images to optical discs.

    Power ISO

    PowerISO will be useful when working with boot disks of Windows and other operating systems, as well as with any images. The program has solid functionality, but you have to pay for it. However, there is also a free limited version. The main functions that the PowerISO program can do:


    These are just the main features of the PowerISO utility. Many are also available in a free version. If you often have to work with images, pay attention to this program, it will become a good assistant for you. You can download it from the official website http://www.poweriso.com/download.php.

    BurnAware Free

    If you are a novice user and work with images occasionally, a program with a simple interface and a set of only the most necessary functions will suit you. Yes, that's all about BurnAware Free. Its main functions are creating iso images and writing data, files and images to disks. Also, if you have a boot disk, you can mount the boot iso. You can download the free utility from the official website.

    How to create an image using BurnAware Free


    In addition to creating an iso image from selected folders and files, using BurnAware Free you can also create iso copies from physical disks. How to do this will be described below:


    ISODisc

    ISODisk is a free and easy-to-use program

    The ISODisc program is completely free and allows you to fully work with ISO images and virtual disks. You can download it from the official website http://www.isodisk.com/. Using this utility you can perform the following tasks:

    • create an iso disk as a virtual one in the system;
    • make an iso image from CD or DVD disks, including a boot image of the Windows operating system, and various disks for restoring your computer.

    The only and rather significant drawback is the inability to mount virtual drives. The program developers do not recommend using this function on operating systems other than Windows XP. But the program copes quite well with creating images; it is simple and easy to use.

    Ultra ISO

    Let's return again to the UltraISO program, one of the most popular utilities for working with images, boot disks, flash drives and the like. Creating an iso file in the program is very simple and does not require special knowledge or time.


    a) CD/DVD drive – you should indicate the location where the disc to be copied is located;

    UltraISO supports many formats

    c) in the “Output Format” panel, select the final image format. The most popular are .mds/mdf, .iso, .nrg

    1. Click “Make”. That's all, the utility will do everything else on its own.

    You can also create your own ISO images using UltraISO. Let's do the following:


    Creating an image from a disk or from your files using the UltraISO program is quite simple, you just need to strictly follow the algorithm.

    Conclusions

    For a novice user, I recommend paying attention to Daemon Tools for opening images and CDBurnerXP. At first I used these programs myself: they are simple, intuitive and effective. More experienced users and those who plan to constantly work with images should take a closer look at UltraISO and PowerISO. They have very powerful functionality, especially in paid versions. With their help, you can open and mount an image of any type and format: from copying from a physical disk to OS installation images. But the winner of our review was the program Ultra ISO. None of its competitors can compare with its efficiency and capabilities: the program uses the new ISZ format, which performs compression at the highest level, supports AES encryption, a huge number of formats: *.iso, *.bin, *.ima, *.cue, *.nrg, *.mdf, *.mds, *.img, *.ccd (including CD-TEXT), *.sub and others leave no chance for competitors.

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