If you have bought any big apps or games in the last few years, chances are that you have had to download them in ISO format.
ISO files are exact copies of optical discs, be it CDs, DVDs, or Blu-rays. What we mean by this is that they contain all the files, metadata, and functions of the source material and can replicate them to the smallest detail. This is, after all, why it has become the industry standard for whenever one needs to transfer large chunks of data.
Unlike their optical counterparts, though, they require some assembly before they can be of any use. In a sense, they are like IKEA furniture; You buy a sofa, but what you get at the store is a box with all the parts. You later need a tool to assemble them and turn them into a sofa. In IKEA’s case, the tool is usually an Allen key, whereas in our case it is an ISO mounter.
In this article, we will demonstrate the types of ISO files, the best ISO mounter for each type, and show you how to use it to run your ISO files.
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Types of ISO files and their uses
ISOs are divided into two categories; Data ISO and Movie ISO. Based on the category of ISO we are dealing with, we will need a different tool to properly mount it.
Data ISO
This is the kind of ISO that is an exact copy of a disc containing data. Said data could be just folders and files, a boot disc, like the ones we use to recover Windows if they encounter any issues on startup and installers, like the ones you download to install programs. (E.g. an antivirus or a game)
Video or Audio ISO
This second kind of ISO is usually found either as a homemade backup of a physical medium or a digitally distributed movie you have bought from an online store.
In either case, things are not that much different with video and audio ISOs. You load them like Data ISOs and they should work.
However, this is not always the case. Read below to find out what we do in those cases.
Best program to mount Data ISO files
When we want to mount ISO files, we use Daemon Tools Lite.
With Daemon Tools Lite, you can:
- Mount any ISO file as it emulates any virtual device from DT, SCSI to HDD.
- Load up to four ISO files at the same time.
- Organise all your loaded ISO files.
- Create MDX, MDS, and ISO file copies of any of your discs.
How to mount Data ISO files with Daemon Tools Lite
Step 1: Download Daemon Tools Lite and install it on your computer.
Step 2: Locate the ISO file on your computer and double-click on it.
Usually, this is enough for Daemon tools to boot up automatically and load your file like it would have done if you had inserted a regular disc instead of a virtual one.
If this works, this is the end of the guide.
If not, check the rest.
Step 2 (Alternative): Mount the file on Daemon Tools’ interface.
- Run Daemon Tools Lite.
- Click on the plus symbol at the bottom of the interface to create a new virtual drive.
- Click on the drive and select your ISO at the relevant directory screen.
- Daemon will mount your ISO to the allocated drive.
Step 3: Find the mounted data.
The mounted ISO can be found where you will usually find your optical drives at “My Computer”.
Best program to load Audio or Video ISOs
Sometimes ISOs fail to load. In those cases, there is an alternative solution. Instead of mounting the files themselves, you can extract the video or audio. This way, you avoid having to download ISO mounting software and can enjoy your movies and albums freely on any device.
Tipard Blu-ray Converter
For this, you need an app known as an ISO ripper. It can extract the audio and video from any source and convert it to more usable video formats such as MKV or MP4. What is more, if you opt for a truly professional program like Tipard Blu-ray Converter, you will also be able to enjoy video files of the exact same quality as the original, if not better.
To be more precise, with Tipard Blu-ray Converter you get:
- Over 500 formats to choose from to better enjoy your music and videos on any device.
- A pro-level video editor to help you make your own unique video clips or enhance your videos.
- 100% lossless conversion so that you don’t lose any of the quality ISO is known for. (Tipard can handle resolutions of up to 4K)
- A hardware accelerator function to minimise waiting.
- A host of features like a video enhancer and 3D Maker to take your experience to the next level.
How to convert ISO to different formats with Tipard Blu-ray Converter
Step 1: Download and install Tipard Blu-ray converter.
Launch after installation.
Step 2: Import the ISO movie into Tipard Blu-ray converter.
- Select the “Ripper” tab and click on “Load Blu-ray”>”Load ISO” on the upper left corner or on the big blue plus symbol in the middle of the interface to load up your ISO movie to Tipard.
Within a few seconds, Tipard will display the loaded file.
Step 3: Set up the parameters.
- Select which parts of the movie you want in your MKV file by clicking on the orange “Full Title List” button. There you can preview each different clip and choose the ones you want.
- Select, remove or add audio and subtitle tracks to your MKV file.
- Edit or trim the video (if necessary) by clicking on the edit (star) and cut (scissors) buttons. Tipard’s powerful editor allows you to change the contrast, saturation, brightness, and hue of your video, apply filters and even watermarks.
- Set the output format to MKV from the drop-down menu on the right side of the interface.
- Go to the MKV tab and choose the “Same as source” option. This way, Tipard will convert your ISO movie to an MKV file with no loss of video or audio quality whatsoever.
- Decide where you want Tipard to store your converted files by changing the directory at the bottom of the interface.
Step 4: Complete the conversion.
- Click on the “Rip All” button on the bottom right.
Once finished, Tipard will take you to the location where the MKV video file is stored. There is a “folder” icon that you can click on if you want to view Tipard’s default storage location to find any converted file.
Conclusion
ISO, being a container format can create 1:1 copies of any source material both in terms of quality and features. However, while it is the industry standard in large file transfer, it is quite ungainly and hard to work with, if you don’t have the right tools. In this article, we showed you what the best tool for ISO mounting is and how to use it, as well as what to do in case you get a video/audio ISO that won’t mount.