ISO installation files are often used to distribute and store large software packages, operating systems or data backups.
Install ISO file in virtual drive: Virtual Clone Drive
If you want to access the ISO file without having to burn it to a DVD first, you can install a virtual DVD drive. One popular tool is the free Virtual Clone Drive:
- Download Virtual Clone Drive and start the setup.
- Select which file formats the software should associate with. The associations will make it easier for you to mount ISO files into the virtual drive later.
- During installation, you will be asked if you want to install the displayed device software. Confirm this by clicking the “Install” button. If you receive a message about a missing driver signature, ignore it.
- After starting the software, Virtual Clone Drive appears as a new drive in your system.
- Right-click on the virtual drive in Windows Explorer. Then move the mouse pointer over the menu item “Virtual CloneDrive” and select “Load image file…”.
- Select the ISO file that you want to install later. This will now be mounted in the virtual drive.
- If you want to remove the ISO file from the virtual drive, first right-click on the drive in Windows Explorer. Then move the mouse pointer over the menu item “VCD” and select “Remove image file”.
From Windows 8: Mount ISO file directly
Since Windows 8, you no longer need to install additional software to mount an ISO file as a virtual drive:
- Right-click on the ISO file.
- Select the menu item “Mount”. Alternatively, you can mount the ISO file as a virtual drive in your system by double-clicking it.
- A new virtual drive appears in which the selected ISO file is already mounted.
- If you want to remove the virtual drive again, right-click on it in Windows Explorer and then select the menu item “Eject”.
- Note: If you want to install a second operating system, you should not start the installation from a virtual DVD drive. Instead, burn a real CD/DVD or set up a USB stick for the installation.
Alternative: Unpack ISO file
However, you do not necessarily have to mount the ISO file in a virtual drive, you can also simply unpack the file.
- Depending on the file size, this may take a few minutes and additional storage space is required for unpacking.
- You can easily unpack the files using freeware tools such as 7-Zip or WinRAR.
You can also find further practical tips on computers here:
- Cleaning up your PC: It's that easy
- Do files on the desktop slow down the PC?
- Windows 10: How to search for files