How to Install a Software Program From an ISO File

Certain software programs, especially large ones, are configured as ISO files. Beyond Windows itself, applications like Microsoft Office often come as ISO files if they’re installed via the internet.

An ISO file contains all of the installation files for a single program. Okay, that’s fine. But how do you install an application from its ISO file? Well, that depends on which version of Windows you’re running. In Windows 8.1 or 10, you can mount the ISO file as a virtual drive and install the software from there. In older versions of Windows, you’ll need to download a utility that can mount the ISO file for you. You can also burn the ISO file to a CD or DVD and install it from the disc. Let’s go over these different methods.

• 1
  Mount the ISO File in Windows 8.1 or 10

  In either Windows 8.1 or 10, download the ISO file. Open File Explorer and right-click on the file. From the pop-up menu, click on the Mount command.

• 2
  Virtual Drive

  That opens a virtual drive from which you can install the software. On that virtual drive, you should find a setup.exe file or a similar file for installing the program. Double-click that file to install the software.

• 3
  Install

  The software then installs.

• 4
  Eject

  After the installation has finished, close the setup program, if necessary. Open your “This PC” folder so you can see all your disk drives. Right-click on the virtual drive. (It will likely have a drive letter of D or E depending on your configuration). From the pop-up menu, click on the Eject command. That removes the virtual drive, though your ISO file is still alive and well.

• 5
  Mount the ISO File in Windows 7

  The mount command is available only in Windows 8, 8.1, and Windows 10. If you’re running Windows 7, you can turn to a free virtual drive utility. One good program is Virtual CloneDrive. After installation, open Windows Explorer and right-click on the ISO file you wish to install. From the pop-up menu, click on the command to “Mount (Virtual CloneDrive).”

• 6
  Run the Setup

  The virtual drive is created. A small window pops up asking if you want to run the setup file or open the folder for the virtual drive. Choose the option to run the setup file.

• 7
  Unmount

  The installation then proceeds. After the program has installed, right-click on the ISO file in Windows Explorer and click on “Unmount” from the pop-up menu to remove the virtual drive.

• 8
  Burn the ISO File to Disc

  Another option for installing a program from an ISO file is to simply burn the file to a CD or DVD and install it from there. This is a useful method if you wish to store the program on a disc that you can install in any version of Windows. To do this, insert a blank CD or DVD in your PC’s disc drive. Open File Explorer or Windows Explorer. Right-click on the ISO file. From the pop-up menu, click on the command to “Burn disc image.”

• 9
  Install Via Disc

  The Windows Disc Image Burner tool pops up and should point to your CD/DVD drive. Click on the Burn button to proceed.

  The ISO file is burned to your CD or DVD. Your disc drive may then open so you can remove the disc. Depending on your installation settings, you can then install your program from the disc automatically by placing it in the drive of a PC or by double-clicking on the setup file as displayed in File Explorer or Windows Explorer.

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