Contents
- 1 How to Mount ISO or IMG files Opening Them Directly
- 2 How to Mount ISO or IMG files from File Explorer Command Bar
- 3 How to Mount ISO or IMG files using the Mount Context Menu
- 4 How to Mount ISO or IMG files using the “Open with”-Context Menu
- 5 How to Unmount ISO or IMG files using Eject
- 6 How to Mount or Unmount ISO or IMG files in PowerShell
- 7 How to Mount or Unmount ISO files / IMG files in Command Prompt
ISO images hold the information on physical media like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs in an archival file format using the file ending “.ISO”. Software makers and developers employ ISO files to deliver programs, utilities, and operating systems in this format which then can be used to create exact physical copies of those CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs or to attach (mount) those as virtual discs directly to a running system
For a long time, Windows didn't provide built-in support for ISOs. Before Windows 8, you had to utilize third-party utilities. What you should know about ISOs on Windows 11 is provided below.
The difference between ISO and IMG files
The older IMG file format was designed to allow exact backup copies of floppy disks in a single file, just as ISO does for optical discs. It works by creating a bitmap of each sector of the disk that has been written to. Since the demise of floppy disks, the IMG format has been primarily used for the creation of hard disk image files.
You may view the entire contents of an ISO image or an IMG image when you mount it on Windows 11. ISO files can be used to distribute software via bootable media images and IMG files to create exact copies of hard drives/SSDs as backups or for easy deployment of similar workstations in large organizations.
When you mount an ISO file / IMG file, your computer will handle it as if you had loaded/connected a CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, or HDD/SSD on your system
How to Mount ISO or IMG files Opening Them Directly
You should always proceed with care when mounting ISO files since they may include malware or other potentially unwanted applications. In Windows 11, you can mount ISO / unmount ISO files in a straightforward way by just opening them.
- Double Click to mount the ISO File on your system
- OR Select the ISO file and press “Enter” to mount it
How to Mount ISO or IMG files from File Explorer Command Bar
You can also mount the ISO file with the File Explorer Command Bar as shown in the following step.
- Click on the ISO file, select the three dots at the top right corner and choose “Mount” from the options
How to Mount ISO or IMG files using the Mount Context Menu
You can mount the ISO file by right-clicking on it.
- Right-click on the ISO file and select “Mount” from the context menu options
How to Mount ISO or IMG files using the “Open with”-Context Menu
You can also mount the ISO file using the “Open with” option from the context menu.
- Right-click on the ISO file, select “Open with”, and choose “Windows Explorer”
How to Unmount ISO or IMG files using Eject
Unmounting ISO files / IMG files is as easy as mounting them. Just follow along with the following procedure.
- Select the mounted ISO file, click on the three dots at the top right corner, and select “Eject”
- Right-click on the mounted ISO file and select “Eject” from the context menu
How to Mount or Unmount ISO or IMG files in PowerShell
You can also use PowerShell to mount or unmount ISO images and files.
- Right-click on the “Windows” icon and select “Terminal” from the context menu
This particular step will open up the terminal app where you can access Windows Powershell.
- Click on the “Keyboard Down” icon and select “Windows PowerShell” from the context menu options
- Type in the following command to mount the ISO file / IMG file:
Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath YOUR_ISO_File_Location
Paste the path of your ISO file in the command, and it will mount that specific ISO file.
- Type in the following command to assign the desired drive letter to the mounted ISO file / IMG file
Dismount-DiskImage -DevicePath YOUR_Drive
In the command above, replace <Your Drive> with the DVD drive letter (for example, “E”) of the mounted ISO or IMG file you want to unmount.
- Type in the following command to unmount the ISO file / IMG file using PowerShell
Dismount-DiskImage -DevicePath "Filepath"
ALternatively, paste the path of your ISO file in the command, and it will unmount that specific ISO file or IMG file.
How to Mount or Unmount ISO files / IMG files in Command Prompt
- Right-click on the “Windows” icon and select “Terminal” from the context menu
- Select the “Command Prompt” from the dropdown options
- Type in the following command to mount the ISO file / IMG file using the command prompt
PowerShell Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "path of ISO File"
Use the complete path and filename of the ISO file in the above command instead of “path of ISO File”, and it will mount that specific ISO file.
Unmount the ISO file / IMG file using Command Prompt through the following command
PowerShell Dismount-DiskImage -DevicePath \\.\<drive letter>
Paste the DVD letter of the mounted ISO file in the above command to unmount that ISO file / IMG file.
You can also use the following command to unmount the ISO file / IMG file using the command prompt
PowerShell Dismount-DiskImage -ImagePath <ISO FILE PATH>
In the above command, paste the full path of the ISO file to unmount.
