Files containing an exact image of an optical disc are intended for transmission of its contents over electronic networks or transport using other types of media. Subsequently, from this file, you can recreate an exact copy of the original disk on physical media or its imitation in a virtual reader. For such operations, specialized software is required, and for simple viewing of the contents of a file with a disk image, in many cases you can do without it.
Instructions
Step 1
If the disk image you are interested in is stored in a file with the iso extension, then you can use any archiving program to view it. This format is not the property of any company, therefore it is used most widely, and the manufacturers of archivers have the right to include it in the list of supported formats of their products. If such a program is not yet installed on your computer, then select, for example, WinRAR (https://win-rar.ru) or 7-zip (https://7-zip.org) - these applications and besides viewing disk images will be very helpful.
Step 2
Use the most convenient way to view the contents of the iso file - this can be done through the standard OS file manager or in the archiver program itself. The Windows file manager (Explorer) is launched by double-clicking on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop or by simultaneously pressing the Win and E keys. Navigate the folder tree in the left pane of the file manager to the directory containing the disk image file and open it by double-clicking … Explorer will transfer the file of your choice to the archiver installed in the system, and the latter will display its contents in its window.
Step 3
If you want to do without "Explorer", start the archiver from the OS main menu or using the shortcut on the desktop, and then press the Ctrl + O key combination. These "hot keys" call the file open dialog regardless of which archiving program you have installed … Find the required file and click on the "Open" button - the application will display a list of files of the selected image in its window.
Step 4
If the disk image has a format other than iso, then use specialized applications to work with files of this type. For example, image files with the nrg extension are native to Nero Burning ROM, vcd files to VirtualCD, pqi to DriveImage, etc. There is also a group of emulator applications designed to simulate optical disc drives - for example, DAEMON Tools, Alcohol 120%, PowerISO, etc. These programs are designed to work with a wide variety of disk image formats.
