What are iso files, and how do I open them?

Microsoft has a "Virtual CD" driver available:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4402.html

Run it, and it installs a new drive letter, onto which you can mount and unmount ISO files.

(Note: this is the only one I've used, so I can't compare it to any others. Also, it only claims to be for XP, so I don't know if it works for Vista. However, it does the job for me, no fuss, no muss.)

daemon tools is the free program I use to mount .iso images as a virtual drive. It assigns a drive letter and it's as if you had the original CD in the drive. Works flawlessly for me.

http://filehippo.com/download_daemon_tools/

yeah, daemon tools is probably the best that I've seen, it has most copy-protection system emulations too.

I took the advise of Bob L. above and the program he recommended worked flawlessly in Vista. I no longer have to burn ISO files onto a DVD/CD on order to install them from that DVD/CD back onto the same computer and this virtual DVD/CD program is a lot faster than the real (mechanical) thing. Thanks Bob!

I was recomended PowerISO and it seems to work fine. although I have only used it a couple of times they have a free version you can try.

I'm new to download and have just downloaded a large ISO file (music). I've used IDM as my download and have opened the files with WinRAR. I read your advise here and downloaded daemon tools and it has created an F drive but Win RAR won't send it to the Daemon F drive. Sorry guys this is probably elementary for you but I could use the help. The whole ISO has not been downloaded - I'm still have to download 2 more file - could this be the reason?

Well I guess you tried to make things clear but I ended up still pretty confused & with more questions:
1) Why bother with an iso file in the first place since there is no compression.
2) Surely this just introduces unnecessary steps in the viewing process, who wants to waste time burning CD's when HD's are now so cheap & very large.
3) When/if you burn to CD do you choose "burn a data file" or "burn an iso file".
4) Now just one more time: I start with an iso file, wish to use it, but must first burn to CD, which duplicates what I had to start with, So how do I view the CD & why will I be able to use now when I could not the original.
Totally confused even after re-reading your article. No doubt I'm tghick but computers are supposed to be friendly right not dinosours.

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1) Compression isn't the point of an ISO file. The point is
to represent/contain an exact disk image. You'll see CD
images distributed as ISO files, for example.

2) ISO files aren't typically used for HD images, for much
of the reason you explain: size and cost. However they're
perfect for distributing, again, a smaller disk image like
that of a CD or DVD.

3) Burn ISO file. You'll see that this, then, is almost the
only step required. The resulting burned CD will have files
on it.

4) There are also utilities available that allow you to
mount and/or view and/or extract the contents of an ISO file
without burning it - I think 7-zip is just one example. But
again, that's not the point. If I want to distribute an
image of something that you must burn to CD in order to, for
example, boot from - then an ISO is perfect.

Leo

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Thanks for the info. Very helpful. FYI for windows users, there is a virtual CD driver provided by Microsoft for XP (also Vista, but I didn't research that one) that is available from MS download center - fairly simple to install and use - just make sure your ISO files are not buried too deep in the file structure - if the folder path is too long the mount will fail - I moved the ISO files to a folder on my desktop and then was able to mount them easily. Go to http://microsoft.com/downloads and search for winxpvirtualcdcontrolpanel to find the page to download from.

I have burned the ISO file onto the disk, run the disk it opens up and i just have the same programme on the disk, and no i can't extract a damn thing! it just won't open, originally it wouldn't and after wasting a CD for burning it still won't! i don't know what to do? have you any other suggestions?