What's an ISO file?

M

/_\MECCA/_\

New Member
I know enough about computers to get around them & what not but it seems like Technology is flying pass me alittle too fast.
I had a problem with my external USB hard drive & someone from this forum told me to DL an certain program to get it fixed.

I go to the Website to Download the program & it's has an ISO extension. Now I haven't really been taught anything about computers since 2001(in addition to browsing the internet between then & now), plus I got windows 98 so I'm kinda confused when it comes to new technology. Anyway I have no idea what an ISO file is or what to do with it. I mean is it like an Zip file or what?
 
/_\MECCA/_\ said:
Hmmm...still alittle confused...can someone provide an example?
Click to expand...

For instance, say I want to download Linux (an operating system) and put it on my computer I have to download an ISO file. I can then go into a CD burning program and burn the compressed files to a CD. Then I would have a Linux CD that I can install onto my computer.
 
Sooooo lets says I would want an LEGAL copy of Windows XP installed on my computer from an CD. How would the computer read it?
Because I remember downloading an ISO file & when I try to open it up..it just asks "what program would you like to open this file with?"
I mean do I have to boot from that CD?
 
/_\MECCA/_\ said:
Sooooo lets says I would want an LEGAL copy of Windows XP installed on my computer from an CD. How would the computer read it?
Because I remember downloading an ISO file & when I try to open it up..it just asks "what program would you like to open this file with?"
I mean do I have to boot from that CD?
Click to expand...

Just so I know what type of ISO it is (CD image or just a compressed file), what is the program?
 
Like Ubuntu is a ISO file, a cd image. You can download a program like "powerISO" and it will create a virtual drive on the computer to use it as if a cd is in a drive. I believe it even has ISO burning software to burn the image file onto a dvd so that you can boot from the dvd. If you were to burn the iso straight to the DVD without uncrompressing it somehow like the iso burning software does it would be useless.
 
You need a program that will create virtual drives. Daemon tool is one of the best and it's free. If it's an OS then you need to burn the Iso to a CD and do a boot from CD.
 
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