How to Open or Extract an ISO File in Windows 11/10/8/7?

About ISO Files

What is an ISO file? An ISO file, also known as an ISO image, is a type of file format that contains an exact copy of a CD, DVD, or other optical disc. It is a disk image that contains all the data and file systems that were present on the original disc.

ISO files are commonly used for creating backup copies of CDs and DVDs, as well as for distributing large software applications and operating systems over the internet. They can be mounted as virtual drives or burned onto a new disc to create an exact replica of the original.

The term "ISO" comes from the International Organization for Standardization, which developed the ISO 9660 standard for file systems used on CD-ROMs. An ISO file is essentially an image of a CD-ROM that complies with this standard.

ISO files provide a convenient way to distribute and store large amounts of data in a single file. ISO files are commonly used for a variety of purposes, including:

• Distributing software: Software vendors often distribute their applications as ISO files, which can be burned to a CD or DVD or mounted as a virtual drive.
• Installing operating systems: ISO files are often used to distribute operating system installers, which can be burned to a bootable CD or DVD or used to create a bootable USB drive.
• Creating backup copies of CDs and DVDs: ISO files can be used to create backup copies of CDs and DVDs, which can be stored on a hard drive or other storage medium.
• Virtualization: Virtualization software can use ISO files to emulate a CD or DVD drive, which can be used to install software or perform other tasks in a virtual machine.
• Archiving: ISO files can be used to archive large collections of files or to create images of hard drives or other storage devices.

How do I read an ISO file? There are several methods to read an ISO file, for instance, mount the ISO file in File Explorer, extract the ISO file with WinRAR, burn the ISO file to a physical disc, access data inside the ISO file with DiskGenius Free Edition, etc.

How To Open and Extract File in Windows 11/10/8/7?

Method #1: Mount ISO Images in File Explorer

For Windows 11 and Windows 10 users, third-party software is not needed to mount ISO images, for the ISO file can be mounted in File Explorer directly.

Step 1. Open File Explorer to find the ISO file.

Step 2. Right-click the image file and choose "Mount" from the context menu.

Step 3. Once the file is mounted, you'll see a new drive in File Explorer. The ISO file is treated as a CD. So, you can unmount the ISO file by right-clicking it and selecting "Eject".

Note: Sometimes, the ISO image file couldn't be mounted in this way, and you might receive an error "the disk image isn't initialized, contains partitions that aren't recognizable, or contains volumes that haven't been assigned drive letters. Please use the Disk Management snap-in to make sure the disk, partitions, and volumes are in a usable state". In this case, you can try Method #2.

Method #2: Read and Export Data of ISO Files with DiskGenius Free Edition

DiskGenius is free disk partition software which provides various useful features including read ISO files. It can load the ISO file no matter whether the operating system supports ISO files. Then you can view content inside the ISO file and even output files to another location. In addition to access ISO files, DiskGenius also supports to load and extract files from VHD, VHDX, VMDK, VDI, QCOW, HDD virtual disks without launching the virtual machine. The following steps show how to open an ISO file, read files inside the ISO file and export data to somewhere else.

Step 1. Click "Disk" – "Open Virtual Disk File" after installing and launching DiskGenius Free Edition.

Step 2. Browse your computer to locate the ISO file you want to open, select the file and click "Open" button.

Step 3. View content in the ISO file.

Now the ISO file is loaded in DiskGenius, and it is displayed as a normal drive. Select the drive and expand the directory tree on the left pane. Select the folder on the left pane, and you can view content insider the folder on the right pane. Click a file on the right pane, and you can see a thumbnail preview on the lower pane.

Double-click the file, and you can view original content on the pop-up window, see the picture below:

Step 4. Export files.

DiskGenius supports to copy files from the ISO to other locations: select files you want to output (press Ctrl or Shift to select multiple files), right-click selected data and choose "Copy To".

Method #3: Extract ISO Files Using 7-Zip

Step 1. Install 7-Zip on your computer.

Step 2. Right-click the ISO file you want to extract and choose "7-Zip" – "Extract Files".

Step 3. Choose a location for files that will be extracted from the ISO file.

Conclusion

This page offers three methods to open ISO image files in Windows. Windows 11 and Windows 10 natively supports to mount and read ISO files. For users who are using Windows 8 or lower versions, Windows PE, etc. that cannot mount ISO files directly, use third-party software like DiskGenius Free Edition, WinRAR, or 7-Zip to open ISO files. If you feel this article useful, feel free to share it with your friends.

Questions On Extracting ISO Files

1. How do I open an ISO file in Windows 10?

There are multiple options to open an ISO file in Windows 10, for example, Windows 10 can natively mount ISO files without the need for a virtual drive software. In such cases, you can simply double-click on the ISO file to mount it and access its contents. Moreover, you can also use third-party tools like DiskGenius, 7-Zip, WinRAR to extract content from ISO files.

2. Does ISO file work on Windows 10?

Yes, ISO files work on Windows 10. In fact, Windows 10 can read and open ISO files natively without the need for any third-party software. ISO files are commonly used to distribute software, games, operating systems, and other types of files.

To open an ISO file on Windows 10, simply double-click on the file, and it will be mounted as a virtual drive in the File Explorer. You can then browse the contents of the ISO file and access its files and folders just like a regular drive. Alternatively, you can also use the built-in "Windows Disc Image Burner" tool to burn the ISO file to a CD, DVD, or USB drive.

3. Does Windows 10 have an ISO reader?

Yes, Windows 10 has a built-in ISO reader called "Windows Disc Image Burner". It allows you to read ISO files and burn them to a CD, DVD, or USB drive. Here's how to use it:

Step 1. Right-click on the ISO file you want to read and select "Open with" from the context menu.

Step 2. Select "Windows Disc Image Burner" from the list of programs.

Step 3. Insert a blank CD, DVD, or USB drive into your computer. Select the drive you want to use and click "Burn".

The ISO file will be read and burned to the selected media. You can then use the media to install the operating system or software contained in the ISO file.

4. What tool extracts ISO files?

What program opens .ISO files? There are many other tools available that can extract ISO files, and here are some of the most popular options.

• Windows File Explorer: ISO files can be mounted and opened in Windows 11/10.
• DiskGenius Free Edition: A free partition manager that can mount, read and extract files from ISO image file, VHD, VHDX, VMDK, HDD and VDI virtual disks.
• 7-Zip: This is a free and open-source tool that can extract ISO files and many other archive formats. It can be downloaded from the official 7-Zip website.
• WinRAR: This is a popular tool that can also extract ISO files along with other archive formats. It is a paid tool but offers a trial version that can be downloaded from the official WinRAR website.
• WinZip: This is another popular tool that can extract ISO files and many other archive formats. It is also a paid tool but offers a trial version that can be downloaded from the official WinZip website.

5. Can I extract ISO with 7-Zip?

Yes, 7-Zip can extract ISO files easily. Once you've installed the program, you can right-click the ISO file you want to open, and then click "7-Zip" – "Extract files".

6. Can WinRAR extract ISO files?

Yes, WinRAR can extract ISO files along with many other archive formats. WinRAR is a popular file archiver and compressor tool that supports a wide range of archive formats, including ZIP, RAR, 7Z, CAB, TAR, and ISO. You can simply right-click on an ISO file and select "Extract to" option from the context menu to extract its contents using WinRAR. Alternatively, you can also open WinRAR, select "File" from the menu and then choose "Open archive" to browse and extract the contents of an ISO file.

7. How do I run a .ISO file?

In Windows 11, 10, or 8.1, you can easily mount and run the ISO file in Windows File Explorer without burning to DVD. For example, when you download an ISO file, you can copy it onto a USB or DVD to run the installer file insider the ISO file.

8. How do I open an ISO file without extracting it?

You can mount, read and even export files from an ISO file without extracting it. Here is how to do so:

Step 1. Install and launch DiskGenius Free Edition. Click "Tools" – "Open Virtual Disk File".

Step 2. Browse your computer to find and select the ISO file. Click "Open" button.

Step 3. Now you can view files inside the ISO file and export any files you want.

9. How do I extract an ISO file for free?

To open and extract an ISO file for free, you can use DiskGenius Free Edition to do the job. The free disk partition software can load and read content insider the ISO file without extracting it. What's more, the software also allows you to export any files from the ISO file to another location free of charge.

10. How to read ISO Windows 10?

Windows can read ISO files natively without the need of any third-party software. An ISO file is a disk image that contains the contents of an entire CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc. Windows can mount an ISO file as a virtual drive and allow you to access its files and folders as if you were reading them from a physical disc.

To open an ISO file in Windows, simply double-click on the file, and it will be mounted as a virtual drive in the File Explorer. You can then browse the contents of the ISO file and access its files and folders just like a regular drive.

If you want to burn an ISO file to a CD, DVD, or USB drive, Windows also provides a built-in tool called "Windows Disc Image Burner" that can be used to create a bootable disc from an ISO file.

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