• Program for reading images. How to open an ISO file? Program overview

    UltraISO is indispensable program for working with images on Windows computers.

    ISO images are CD images/ DVD disc ov. To work with the .ISO format you need to download UltraISO for Windows. Your OS can only write data to disk if you have a disk drive, but it won't be able to work with images unless you have additional software. The program's developers are not the inventors of the format, but they are the developers of the product that has become the most popular tool for working with this format. The software needs to be downloaded not only by those who have a disk drive, but also by those who do not have a disk drive, but need to create an image or work with virtual disks, as well as interact with boot disks/flash drives.

    A convenient tool for working with images.ISO

    You can download a disk image with some program, or create this image yourself. To interact with this format you need to download the software. These programs are distributed free of charge, but you can not only download the software for free, but also continue to use it. There are also paid version this utility (costs 1,400 rubles), but for everyday purposes it will definitely be enough for you free features. They are limited only by file size, but to create bootable USB flash drive you will definitely have enough free version.

    The program interface is very similar to the standard Explorer interface in Windows, so you should not have any difficulties in working. In addition to this, UltraISO is in Russian, which means everything is as simple and clear as possible without any translation. The latest version of Ultra ISO allows you to work with the structure of the disk image to save space both on the HDD, when storing the ISO disk, and to reduce the size on optical media. This is not the only advantage of the latest version; here are several innovations and improvements:

    • Working with boot sectors hard drives;
    • Interaction with Daemon Tools;
    • Ability to create a boot floppy disk;

    Boot sectors of hard drives and floppy disks are the lot of not only computer professionals, but also ordinary users who uses UltraISO. You can configure the HDD the way it suits you. This feature appeared only in the latest version of the utility. You can also work with boot sectors optical disks and floppy disks.

    Floppy disk support is not a relic of the past. For example, this support will allow you to write a bootable floppy disk with legacy operating systems, for example, you can create a bootable floppy disk for DOS OS. Of course, there is support for boot disks and even bootable flash drives. Create bootable usb flash drive can be as in standard mode, and with dual mode – USB-HDD and USB-ZIP. You will learn more about creating such flash drives from the video:

    For those who want to use software to create virtual disks or disk drives, we recommend using this utility in conjunction with or. And although these utilities different developers, but the software supports both utilities for working with virtual disks. You can use a tandem of these utilities to bypass disk protection.

    UltraISO in Russian runs not only on Windows 32 bit, but also on the x64 version; in our archive you will find an installer for both versions of the OS. To run the utility, just install it. You will not need activation and an activation code until you decide to burn a large disc or flash drive. Reviews show that the free version is sufficient to handle 99% of the tasks of the average user.

    An ISO image is often used to create a copy installation programs for example Windows

    ISO file is optical image CD or DVD containing the system ISO files 9660.

    The image is a simple file. With the help specialized programs it can be used instead of a standard CD.

    Such a file has less information than the disk itself from which it was copied. The disk may contain information that can protect it from being copied.

    Only programs that have this capability can save such information.

    You can view ISO file information using archiving programs that can support this format.

    Often such a file is used to “pack” as many files and folders as possible into one archive.

    This format involves the storage and distribution of boot and other large files at a higher speed than through removable or other physical media.

    Now the ISO format is being used more and more often.

    The main difficulty with such files is that the OS Windows Vista and XP initially cannot recognize their format, which is why some inexperienced PC users experience difficulties.

    When you try to open it without pre-installed third-party software, older operating systems do not know what to do with this file.

    How to open an ISO file?

    Read also: 5 easy ways to create a Windows 10 OS image

    Rice. 2. Creating a disk image

    This format is most often used to transfer information from a CD or DVD via the Internet or media.

    All necessary data is saved in the archive, which is then transferred and unpacked on another computer.

    IN lately, this format has begun to be used frequently, therefore, every PC user should know how to open it, because not every computer will be able to immediately select the appropriate program.

    This format is used for archiving games and operating system data.

    This is done so that it can be launched without having a physical disk, but with only its image. In this case, you can do without unpacking.

    You can just run the file double click mice. But if you need to extract information from a virtual disk, you will need a special program.

    On at the moment, there are several more famous ones, free programs, which are easy to use and accessible to any user. So, how do you open an ISO file?

    1 Alcohol

    4 WinRAR

    5 7-zip

    5 Windows 8-10 (System Explorer)

    Read also: TOP 15 programs for cleaning your computer from junk

    Daemon Tools is a program for creating CD/DVD images.

    The disk drive is created programmatically, after which the computer perceives it as if it contains a disk. This allows you to use images as if they were physical disks located on a CD-ROM.

    It is possible to create images in various formats for subsequent use in this and other similar programs.

    A virtual disk drive is created to increase the speed of information transfer and reduce wear on media.

    One of the most popular utilities for creating images and unpacking them.

    Rice. 3. Utility download page

    You can find a free version on the developer's official website, but after the update you will have to buy it. Go to the developer's website and click the "Download" button.

    In order to open the files you need, the Lite version will be enough. Such version will do, if you do not need to perform any complex manipulations. It is in second place on the developer's website.

    After downloading the program, install it and run it. To create an image, click on the button shown in Fig. 4.

    Rice. 4. Creating an image in Daemon Tools

    After clicking this button, you need to select the file you want to convert.

    But it will not start in the program, however, it can be found in “My Computer”, like a disk located in the drive.

    You can also open it through “My Computer,” but before that you need to launch it in the program. To do this, press the corresponding button shown in Fig. 5.

    Fig.5 Putting the image into operation.

    After launching the image, it will be visible in “My Computer”, where it can already be opened.

    Fig.6 Added disk image.

    Through Daemon Tools the work is quite simple.

    Considering the fact that recently files ISO type have become quite popular and widespread, this program you need to have it on your PC.

    System Requirements It is small and takes up minimal memory. Additionally, it can be noted that this utility is often installed along with the game, as a required application, if this comes from a disk through a drive.

    From reviews:

    “An excellent program for virtualizing optical disks, and it’s also free.”

    "One of best programs when working with disk images"

    “Creates excellent and high quality virtual disk and stores data on them"

    Alcohol

    Read also: Error “Windows cannot complete formatting”: causes of the error and 5 ways to fix it

    Paid application for creating disk images.

    With its help, you can create up to 31 drives, as well as burn information to a CD.

    There is a version of Alcohol 52%, which is distinguished by the absence of the ability to record information on media, and is also absolutely free and intended for non-commercial use.

    You can download this program on the official website of the developer.

    But it is provided free of charge only for 30 days. Next, the utility asks you to buy a license.

    The full version can, of course, be downloaded from pirated sites, but this is not recommended, as you can download virus software, thereby harming your PC.

    By going to the developer's website, you will be taken to home page. On it you need to click “Download trial”.

    After this, you will automatically be redirected to the download page, where you need to click the “Download” button, after which the installation file will begin downloading.

    Once the download is complete, install the program and run it. The main window will open, in which we select the “File” submenu, and then click “Open”.

    Fig.9. The main window of the utility.

    Further work with ready-made is no different from working in Daemon Tools - Launch “My Computer”, find required disk and launch it.

    From reviews:

    “This program is much better than Daemon Tools, much! It’s very easy to create images, and it’s easy to remove (unlike Daemon Tools again)”;

    “Cool program for images”;

    “A must-have program for any computer. No comments needed.”;

    “Cool program is very necessary for gamers!!!”;

    “Damn, the program is absolutely a bomb, and even if you know how to use it, download it without fail!!!”

    Read also:Create a bootable USB flash drive with utilities for Windows yourself

    The program is designed for Windows OS, the main functions of which are creating, editing and converting CD/DVD images.

    Has the ability to emulate and create CD burning.

    There are paid and free versions. The difference is that in the free version it is impossible to work with images whose size is more than 300 MB. Multilingual interface. Can use own format ISZ.

    UltraISO is not only popular, but also easy to use. Its simplicity is what accounts for its popularity. You can download the program for free on any website where it is available. One of the best is SoftPortal. How to download the program:

    1 Go to the above site and look for UltraISO in the search bar. Click on the “Download” button.

    Fig. 12. Downloading the utility.

    The site will automatically redirect you to another page, where you will need to select the download source - the developer’s site or an alternative to it.

    Fig. 14. Open the installation file.

    When the installation is complete, open the program. After launching the application, proceed to opening the disk image using the “Open” button, as shown in Fig. 15.

    Fig. 15. Opening a file to create an image.

    In the window that opens, select the desired ISO file to create an image. The content will open as shown in Figure 16.

    Fig. 16. Contents of the image.

    Everything that is in the image is displayed in this window. Here you can already select what you need and work with the file.

    The program is easy to use, so even the most inexperienced beginner can handle it.

    From reviews:

    “The program is just super, I recommend it to everyone”;

    “The program can be useful in a variety of cases, from creating an image from a physical disk to converting formats. There is a function to burn images to disk. Working with the program is quite easy, it is Russified, which facilitates the rapid development of all functions. The internal file browser allows you to conveniently browse folders and select files for new projects. I recommend it for use!”;

    Developed in 1999, it is still popular among users and open source. source code, which is freely distributed under license.

    The main platform is Windows OS. Versions available with graphical interface and for the command line.

    It is surprising that an ISO file can be opened by a regular 7-zip archiver.

    You can download the full free version on the developer's website. On the download page you will need to select the system version.

    If your PC has the Windows 7 operating system, then most likely a 64-bit version will do. Having selected the version, click the “Download” button, after which the installation file will begin downloading.

    Fig. 10. Utility download page.

    Installation has no special features and proceeds in the same way as with any other program.

    After the installation is complete, launch the program. If you click on the “Plus” (add) button in the window that opens, another window will open in which you need to select the ISO file to unpack.

    The contents of the file will be opened as in a regular folder. To extract what you need, just drag the selected file from the utility onto your desktop using the mouse.

    Fig. 11. Adding a file for unpacking.

    From reviews:

    “It’s a pleasure to work in the program, everything is smooth and hassle-free. Archives can be unpacked both into the current folder and into a folder with a name like the name of the archive itself (which is much more convenient). You can pack the folder (“Add to archive”) and send it by e-mail. You can simply open the archive and view its contents”;

    “Very simple, very useful and functional, highly recommend”;

    “The program is excellent, I’ve been using it for more than a year. It works well, the developers are great. And most importantly - it's free!!! Place your bet, you won’t regret it.”

    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 amount of software that currently exists on the Internet, 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 operating system Windows provides this program as part of its standard software. 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 virtual disk images with .iso resolution are opened. In other words, the program “tricks” the computer into recognizing the .iso file as a disc found in a CD/DVD drive.

    We will not describe all the intricacies of working with Daemon Tools, we will only consider how to open the image disk iso 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 popular and famous program For opening iso images It can be used to run or play the contents of .iso files. It’s worth noting right away that the program is more difficult to use for inexperienced users and to play files you need 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. Is an extended version of the program Ultra ISO, which allows 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 Ultra program ISO.

    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 the free version only applies to 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.

    Hello dear readers, today we’ll talk to you about virtual images of optical disks. Many inexperienced computer users often have a question: how to open an iso format. Let me remind you that an ISO image is a kind of virtual image of an optical disk that has file system in accordance with ISO 9660 standard.

    Such ISO images are created for subsequent recording on physical disk(CD, DVD, etc.), but situations often arise when you need to view or copy some files that are already in the ISO image. To read similar virtual images physical disks are widely used by the following programs: PowerISO, Daemon tools, Alcohol, UltraISO, Nero, WinISO, and many others.

    As you can see, ISO images can be opened by many software products. True, you still need to install them on your computer and figure out how they work, but today we are interested in a quick, express method of viewing such an image without using additional programs.

    Winrar

    To start working with this utility, you need to do the following steps “Start” - “All Programs” - “Winrar” - “Winrar”.

    Next, you need to specify the path to the file that you plan to open; to do this, you need to perform the following steps: “File” - “Open archive” where you specify the path to the ISO image. Having selected the ISO file you need, click on the “Open” button.
    You can also double-click on the file and wait for it to open to view or copy the information.


    7- Zip

    When working with this program, use the right mouse button to click on the ISO image and select context menu“7-Zip” - “Open archive”.

    To do the above operations faster, right-click on the image and select “Open with...”. After this, a menu will open in which you need to select an archiver: Winrar or 7-Zip.


    If you have a situation where you frequently use files located in an ISO image, then you can do the following: in order not to open it every time using the presented utilities, you can copy the necessary files from the image to a separate folder.

    Open ISO using programs

    So we figured out how to open an ISO file using archivers. Of course, this method is very easy and requires virtually no skills. In practice, it becomes necessary to store downloaded data in the form of ISO images and, if necessary, “connect” them or write them. This is similar to when you insert a disc into a disk drive. Only for our purpose, a real disk drive is completely unnecessary.

    There are programs that create a so-called virtual disk. Once the drive is "inserted", you can see it in My Computer just as if it were real and access any data on it. To do this, just understand one of the programs, which will be discussed below, and you will be able to connect your ISO images with the click of one button.

    Daemon Tools

    One of the simplest programs for connecting images is Daemon Tools. Its main advantage is not only its simplicity, but also the presence of a free version, which will be enough to learn not only how to open the ISO format, but also, taking this opportunity, I will show you how to connect a virtual disk.

    Therefore, we will go straight to the manufacturer’s website and download the program from there: .

    Click on the “Download” button. Let's launch our DAEMON Tools Lite and in the window that opens, click “Next”, then “I Accept”, and now select “ Free license", then click "Next", and then again "Next" and "Install". The program is installed, click “Close”, after unchecking all the checkboxes.

    Now, by right-clicking on the ISO file, selecting "Open with" and then "DAEMON Tools Lite", the disk with the image data will be available in the "My Computer" section, as if it were inserted into the disk drive of your computer.

    If you no longer need the data on the drive, you can right-click the drive icon in My Computer and select Eject from the drop-down menu.

    Ultra ISO

    Now let's figure out how to open an ISO file using a simple UltraISO program. Download UltraISO program With . Select your country from the list and click on any of the two green arrows next to it.

    We launch the downloaded file, carefully click “Next”, agree to the developers’ terms, click “Next” four times and “Install” once, uncheck the boxes and close the window, as in the previous case.

    Now right-click on the desired ISO file and select “Open with”, and then “UltraISO”. A new window will open in which you can view files or copy them using drag and drop by simply clicking on required file and dragging it to the area where you want to store it. By the way, we will be using an unregistered program, so before opening it, click on the “Trial period...” button.

    CDBurnerXP

    The last thing worth paying attention to is how to open an ISO file using CDBurnerXP. A small note: this method is for those who want to immediately write data from ISO to disk, if this is of course required. To do this you will need a real floppy drive and a blank disc. The size of the disc depends on how large the ISO file is. Usually this is a DVD disc. In any case, the ISO file size must be smaller than the disk size.

    Download latest version from the official website:

    Install the program by selecting “Next” 4 times and “Install” 1 time, refuse installation third party program and click “Next”. Now a program shortcut will appear on the desktop, launch it and in the window that opens, select the inconspicuous “Open” button at the bottom.

    In the window that opens, find the required ISO file and select it by clicking “Open”. Now click “Burn disc” and, if everything is in order, the program will start recording.

    Once the burning is complete, all the data from the ISO file will be on the disk and will be available at any time. This method is convenient for saving data that, no matter what happens, will be intact and will not need to be moved or opened. Now you probably know how to open a file ISO is better me;).

    How to run an ISO file? Create this file, mount it to a virtual disk personal computer or you can extract all the information from it using various methods

    ISO – special file, containing an absolute copy or image of the information located on an optical disk. This type The format is often used for backup duplication of optical disks or for delegating large sets of files burned to CD or DVD.

    How to run an ISO image file?

    To run the file ISO image There is only one way - use. To unpack images, 2 types of utilities are used - archivers and emulators.

    Archivers is a type of software that interacts with archive components. Their main task is to compress information or combine a huge number of various files into some to make it easier to transfer them, while reducing the amount of information without losing data. These are “7Zip”, “WinRar” and others.

    Emulators (disk drives) are needed not for interacting with files inside images, but for generating virtual disks and attaching ISO files to them instead of standard storage media. You cannot use them to edit the information inside them.

    Daemon Tools– professional, for personal functions, software for generating disk images and emulation virtual drives using various methods protection. Allows you to generate various popular images from all types of disks with the possibility of code protection and compression.

    This program generates a total of up to four virtual various drives, which function like physical analogues, only much faster. A great thing for devices that don't have an optical drive.

    Alcohol

    is a serious utility for burning all kinds of disc formats and generating virtual drives on a PC, as well as emulating information from an optical disc. This development is capable of recording a disk image with information, audio and video information onto a hard drive, and then making it available to other applications, as if the desired optical disc was actually inserted into the drive. This is very important for games and programs that can only be launched from the disk.

    This is a high-quality utility for generating, correcting and transforming various types of disk images. Interacts with over 35 different extensions. The software can also emulate an optical drive, which allows you to run images even on devices without disk drives. And if it is available, the information can be saved to empty disks.

    Regarding the capabilities, in addition to creating images of optical discs, UltraISO can also generate images external media and even HDD. It’s convenient because inside the resulting archive, if necessary, there is a function for adding, changing and erasing various components without having to open them. Images can also be used as additional virtual disks.

    7-zip

    An excellent archiver for Windows, the advantages include speed, support for all available formats and an excellent compression ratio. The application is built into the system explorer. There is a version for the console line and the “FAR Manager” extension, which allows you to work with archives without third-party archivers.

    Without this well-known, comfortable and easy-to-use archiver, it is impossible to imagine everyday work with various archives. Interacts with many archive extensions, including: BZ2, ZIP, 7Z, ACE and others.

    Among the colossal list of program capabilities, it is necessary to note the ability to restore damaged and damaged archives, generating multi-volume and self-extracting archives, working with encrypted and encrypted archives, as well as the ability to compress an almost unlimited number of files.

    Windows Explorer (Windows 8.1 and 10 only)

    Starting with Windows 8, Microsoft introduced the ability to open ISO files directly through File Explorer. Available on Windows 10 too this function. You can easily run and burn ISO files without installing additional programs, which is very convenient and simplifies the task.

    It is enough to find and select the desired file with this extension in the system explorer and open it. If there are third-party emulators and archivers, then you can open through them - the explorer will not interfere.

    The user's computer must have at least 2 emulators or archivers, since some of them may not cope with various types files and volumes of internal data and consumables.