The question of whether how to open ISO file often occurs in novice computer users who, for example, have downloaded some kind of game, a program or a Windows image from the Internet and cannot open the ISO file by using standard Windows tools. Let’s look in detail what to do with these files.
What is a ISO file?
In general, the .ISO file extension is a digital copy of CD or DVD. Thus, this file contains all the information on the CD-ROM content, including music, boot distributions of operating systems, games or programs.
First of all, we should note that in a sense it depends on what is in this manner. If it is a program or a game, then the best way is to not open the file as such, and mount the ISO image of the operating system — that is, .ISO File is opened in a special program that makes it so that the new virtual CD drive appears in Windows Explorer, which can carry out all the necessary operations — to install games and other. Mounting the ISO — the most common variant and it is usually the most suitable. Below we will examine how to mount the disk image in the system.
Another possible case — if the .ISO file contains the operating system distribution. In this case, in order to, for example, to install Windows on a computer that you want to burn the image to a disc or USB flash drive, then boot the computer from the media and carry out clear installation of Windows.
How to mount .ISO file?
The most commonly used method to open the ISO image file — a free program Daemon Tools Lite. You can download Daemon Tools from the official site http://www.daemon-tools.cc/en/downloads. Note that it is necessary to download the Daemon Tools Lite — only this version is free for private use, all other options are paid. By running Daemon Tools, you can open any file .ISO through this program, and then mount it in a virtual drive. Then you use this ISO standard as an CD inserted in the DVD-ROM. In Windows 8, any additional programs to open the .ISO file are not required: you just need to double-click on this file (or right-click and select «Connect») and then mount it to the disk system.
What is a torrent?
People have long used torrent trackers to download movies, music or software sometimes wonder: «How is it possible not to know what is a torrent?». Well, we’ll try to fill the gap for those who have it there and talk about what is a torrent tracker and how to use it.
The word torrent is different for users and mean a few different things: one is referring to a site that allows you to download files from the Internet, someone say that it is installed on the computer, with loading movies, someone – that it is a file on the torrent tracker. So, I think it makes sense to deal with these concepts.
Thus, the protocol for exchanging files over the Internet BitTorrent was developed in 2001 is very popular now. The bottom line is that, for example, downloading a movie via torrent, you load it from other user computers that have downloaded it to your computer before. At the same time, you also get handed out — i.e., if another user chooses to download the same file via a torrent, then some part of it can be get including your computer.
As you can imagine, this kind of distributed file storage makes them (if it is a quite popular files) more available for download: it eliminates the need for the presence of a special server to store files with a wide access to the Internet channel. At the same time, the speed of downloading files via torrent may be limited only by the speed of your connection — in the presence of a sufficient number of seeders.
Trackers and torrent clients
To upload files using the BitTorrent protocol you will require a special client program, for example utorrent, which can be downloaded for free from the official website utorrent.com, as well as a file with information about the distribution, through which the program will be able to determine where and what to load it.
These files are collected, stored and sorted in special sites — torrent trackers. After registering on this site (some of them work without registration), you will get access to search and navigate through the available distribution: you can find the distribution, download the torrent file which then need to be opened in the client program. After a simple dialogue about where and what kind of files from the distribution of retained start download, the speed of which depends on your internet speed and the number of seeders and leechers — the more seeders, the faster you will be able to download a movie or a file you are interested in.
