Integrated functionality of Windows 8 and later
With the arrival of Windows 8 (and later versions), Microsoft introduced a native feature that allows you to mount ISO images, without the need for third-party software. Did not you know? Don't worry, I'll explain in detail how to mount an ISO image with this integrated tool that is dedicated exclusively to computers with the operating system made by the Colossus of Redmond.
First, right-click your mouse on the icon of the ISO image you want to mount. You will see that, in the context menu, an item will appear with the words Monta. By clicking with the left mouse button on it, Windows will automatically mount the ISO image. An explorer window will then open, and you will be shown the contents of the mounted ISO. That's all; as you have seen, it is simpler than expected.
If you don't have Windows 8 or the latest version of Windows 10, that's not a problem. While you will certainly have to do without this built-in feature, you can mount an ISO image just as easily by downloading a third-party program. Continue reading this guide, in the following lines I will propose some programs free to mount ISO.
WinCDEmu
If you want to rely on a program completely in in your languagen and immediate to use to mount ISO, I suggest you contact WinCDEmu. It is a completely free open-source CD / DVD / BD editing program; you will see that by following my instructions you will learn how to use it in the blink of an eye.
The first thing you need to do in order to start using it for the purpose you proposed is obviously to download the program. Then open the browser you usually use to surf the Internet (for example Chrome) and reach the WinCDEmu project site via this link that refers to the official site.
As soon as the home page of the site opens, you will see a green button with the wording on the right of the screen Download. Then click on it; you will be redirected to the section Download of the site that allows you to download the latest version available.
Now click on the green button Download to download the installation file, called WinCDEmu-XXexe. The file you are about to download is small in size, so it shouldn't take you long to download. After the download is finished, click on it. If the UAC (User Account Control) control window appears, click SI.
Finally, on the installation screen, to install this software you simply need to press the button install, then press on Install and then Ok.
To mount your ISO image, all you have to do is right-click on the ISO and then left-click on Select a drive and mount the image give the menu answer.
A small window will appear, in which you will have to select the letter to assign to the virtual drive (usually the one already indicated is fine) and press the key OK. Reaching now the folder Computer / This PC, you can see that a new disk drive has appeared with the letter you chose and indicated earlier.
Then right-click on the disk drive icon and choose apri, to open your ISO and then be able to see its contents, or Eject to unmount the ISO from the virtual disk drive.
WinCDEmu is an excellent software that allows you to use a portable version as well; the latter does not require the installation of any software, and is equally recommended. Keep in mind that, using this latest portable version, you will be required to install the virtual driver necessary for the program to work.
To download the portable version of WinCDEmu reach this link and click on the green button Download to download the file PortableWinCDEmu-XXexe.
After downloading the EXE file, click on it and then press SI, SI. Next, to mount the ISO image, in the window that appears, click on Mount image to browse the folders on your computer and select the ISO you want to mount.
Once selected, click on it and then on the button apri. A window will automatically appear with the content of the ISO. Instead, click Unmount ALL, to unmount the ISO image.
Daemon Tools Lite
Daemon Tools Lite is a very popular free software that allows you to mount ISO images with incredible speed. Do not you believe it? Keep reading this guide and you will see that mounting ISO with this program will be disarming simplicity.
First, go to its official website to download the program. Once the web page opens, from the top menu click on the button Lite. On the new screen, then click Download. Wait a few seconds for the automatic download to start and download the installation file, called DTLiteInstaller.exe.
Now that you have downloaded the installation file, double left click on it and click the button SI, in case the UAC (User Account Control) screen appears.
The installation procedure requires you to select the button Free License. A download of the add-ons needed to complete the installation will then start. Now click on Install and then NEXT. Make sure there is a check mark on the item Free License, then click again NEXT, again NEXT, Install, Install and finally on Ends. If you were to open the browser, simply close it by pressing on X button top right.
Once the installation is complete, open the program via its desktop icon. A tutorial will appear that you can easily close by pressing the button Skip tutorial. On the next screen, tap again on Salta. You are now ready to mount your ISO images. To do this, you have two possibilities, which I illustrate below.
As a first option, you can mount an ISO by clicking on the icon at the bottom left of the program with it written on it Quickly Mount. An explorer window will open, through which you will have to search and select your ISO image. Select it and then click the button apri.
Alternatively, since all files with the extension .ISO are also associated with the program, open the folder where your ISO image is located and double-click with the left button on it, to mount it automatically.
To unmount the image you also have two alternatives here: reaching the folder Computer / This PC and right clicking on the virtual drive that mounts the ISO, click Disassemble from the context menu; or open Daemon Tools Lite and right click on theblue disk icon at the bottom left and click Disassemble.
Integrated functionality of macOS
If you own a Mac, you don't need a third-party program to mount an ISO image. The operating system of Apple computers already has utility software for this purpose, the name of which is DiskImageMounter. What you need to do is simply double-click the icon of the ISO you want to mount. Your Mac will automatically mount the ISO image and display a window showing you its contents.
Sometimes it can happen that, by downloading applications or other software for opening digital archives, such as The Unarchiver, you may lose the association of the ISO files with DiskImageMounter. In itself that wouldn't be a problem, because with these applications you can still see the content of your ISO image. But if you really want to mount an ISO image, you will need to restore the association with DiskImageMounter. Don't know how to do it? I'll immediately explain how to proceed.
Right-click on the ISO image and from the context menu click on the entry Get Information. In this window that will be displayed to you, click and expand the entry Open with. Select now from the drop-down menu DiskImageMounter. Click the button Edit everything to bring up a window that will ask you for consent to apply this change on all files with this extension. Then click Continue so as to restore the association with the integrated utility of macOS.
Other programs to mount ISO
There are so many programs to mount ISO. I have listed the simplest and most popular programs in the previous paragraphs. I suggest below other programs to mount ISO that can still do for you.
- Virtual CloneDrive (Windows): is a program free for quick and easy mounting of ISO images. Virtual CloneDrive will replace the built-in functionality of Windows (Monta) of the context menu with its own (apri). The peculiarity of this program is to be able to set immediately the amount of virtual units used to open your ISO images, so as to be able to open more than one at the same time.
- Poweriso (Windows / Mac): is a program a payment which has many features, including the ability to burn ISO images. You can download an evaluation version in order to test the program. Since the program contains, during installation, the possibility of adding other third-party software, I recommend that you disable all those boxes that require installation of programs other than PowerISO, if not necessary.
- DVDFab Virtual Drive (Windows): It is a completely program free which only deals with mounting ISO images. Like other software I have told you about, DVDFab Virtual Drive is fast and intuitive both in installing and assembling your ISO files.
