Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Got an ISO image file (ISO, CUE, NRG, MDS, MDF, CCD, IMG) but doesn’t know how to use it? These image files are (usually) a complete copy of an optical disc and requires a virtual drive to mount and use them.

The easiest way – WinCDEmu

If you need a simple solution to mount an ISO image, this is the best that you can have – WinCDEmu. WinCDEmu is an open-source CD/DVD/BD emulator which allows you to mount optical disc images with just a few clicks, and you can easily unmount them.

Installation is really simple. Just click download WinCDEmu, double click the downloaded file and click Install. Once you are done with the installation settings and you are almost there. Windows Installer will most probably ask for the installation of SysProgs Storage Controllers driver – don’t worry, just install it. And that’s it.

How to mount ISO image?

To mount an ISO image, just double click on the ISO image file. And you are done. Isn’t that amazing? If you need some extra options (choosing virtual drive letter, disable autorun etc.) for the mounting, right click on the ISO image, then choose Select drive letter & mount, and a small dialog will appear. Click OK after you done with the settings and the image file will be mounted immediately.

And to unmount ISO image?

Just double click on the same ISO image file! It’s really this simple. Alternatively, you can right click on the virtual drive and select Eject.

What’s more?

Even though it is open source and free, WinCDEmu is an excellent piece of nifty tool.

• Supports unlimited virtual drives
• Lightweight
• No rebooting is required after installation
• Release drive letter when not in use
• Portable version is available

One more thing…

With WinCDEmu, you can also create ISO image file for your data disc (eg. Microsoft Windows installation disc, Microsoft Office installation disc etc.) as a backup or for future use. Simply insert the disc to your optical drive, then right click on it in Windows Explorer, and select Create ISO image. The next thing you know is your data disc has turned into an ISO image file.

Hope this is helpful for you. To download WinCDEmu, visit their page in sourceforge and look for the latest version. For portable version, you can get it here.

Other Options

If you’re looking for a more complete feature set or something a little more tech-user-friendly (is there such a thing?), consider the following options:

• DAEMON tools
• Slysoft Virtual CloneDrive
• PowerISO

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