ISO Burning vs. Mounting
ISO files, also called disc image files, contain an exact copy of a disc, whatever that disc may contain. When you burn an ISO file to a DVD, you are creating an exact duplicate of the original disc, not just the files on it. If the original is bootable, the copy will be too; if the original includes copyright protections, the copy will too. When you mount a disc image file, Windows creates a virtual drive for your ISO file as though it were a physical disc. This allows you to watch the movie, listen to the music, or install the application from the file without ever having to burn the data to a disc.
How to Mount an ISO File in Windows 8 or Windows 10
To mount a disc image file in Windows: If you click This PC/My Computer in the left pane of the File Explorer window, you’ll see your virtual disc drive appears right along with any other drives you have installed on the system. At this point, you can copy files from the image to your hard drive, install an application, or do whatever you want.
How to Unmount an ISO Image in Windows
Once done, you’ll want to unmount the image file to take back the system resources used. To do so, right-click the virtual drive in the File Explorer window and select Eject.
How to Burn an ISO File in Windows 8 or Windows 10
To burn your ISO file to a disc in Windows:
