

iso) files are an archive file format for optical disks, like CDs and DVDs. They contain an exact sector-by-sector, non-compressed copy of a disc. Here's a list of a few free programs that create ISO files.ĬDBurnerXP: Free CD and DVD burning software All you need is a computer with a CD/DVD drive, your original disc(s), a program that creates ISO files, and plenty of free space on your hard drive. Once you have created your ISO files, you can do some cool things with them.

Archiving your ISO files is the first thing you probably want to consider. External drives ( flash, portable, or desktop) are great for storing ISO files. I've taken several small ISO files and burned them on to DVDs for off-site storage. Now, what can you do with an ISO file? Sure, you can make a new CD / DVD using an ISO file. This feature is built-in to Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. You can use a program like Rufus if you want to burn an ISO file to a USB drive. And if you're using Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, you can even mount ( open as a virtual drive) an ISO file and install directly from it.
