About ISO Image

An ISO image is an archive file (also known as a disk image) of an CD/DVD in a format defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

So, it is a virtual CD. There are three actions in relation to ISO image file.

1. Archiving a file or a folder into an ISO image file. This some times called create an ISO image file, or burn into an ISO image. The source files can be a CD/DVD as well. Currently many software installer directly accept this kind of virtual CD. For instance, installing an Linux OS on VMware Server, the VMware Server would prefer you have .iso files.

2. Turn ISO image back to real CD/DVD. Some time this procedure called burn an ISO image, burn an ISO CD/DVD, burn ISO image into CD/DVD.

3. Using or reading ISO image file. When you use an real CD/DVD, you would need a CD/DVD ROM Drive. So, to use ISO image file, the virtual CD/DVD, you will need a virtual CD ROM too. It is also called mount an ISO image, mount ISO file, etc.

Many times, verbs Create, Burn and Mount are interchangeable. It just create confusion what they are talking about. Software of ISO Image may not having all of these three functions. Installer software of course covers the third function mentioned above. So, if you have software installation files already sit in your hard disk, and want to install it, but your installer software could only accept the ISO or CD (this process sometimes called “network installation”), what you got to do?

Option A: Burn your files into a CD.

Option B: Archive your files into a ISO image file. The best software for this purpose is Folder2Iso at http://depositfiles.com/en/files/789051.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.iso
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-create-mount-and-burn-iso-image-files-for-free/
http://www.petri.co.il/mount_iso_files_in_windows_vista.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_image_software