At the dawn of the computer era, the concept of a "file" did not exist, there was no need to come up with a name for it and assign an extension. Today is a completely different story. File systems require a clear ordering, strict information storage. Therefore, each file has its own identifier, by which it can be opened by this or that program.
In the hierarchical structure of a modern operating system, everything is strictly in its place. If the user finds a file with the *.exe extension, then he understands that it is a program or utility. *.doc needs to be opened in Word, and browsers and special editors have been developed for *.html. However, sometimes there are other extensions that are not easy to deal with. And one of these relatively rare PC guests is *.iso
Rare guest *.iso
Relatively recently, PC hard drives were so small that a rare user stored large files on them. Rather, it was a collection of music, books and / or pictures. As soon as large hard drives became available, movies and games began to be recorded on them. The latter usually came in the *.iso, *.mdf or *.vcd format and were “images” of regular CDs or DVDs.
In the 90s of the last century, they did not think that entire collections of films or games could fit on hard drives.
This was done in order to save on the hard drive a game or program you liked that would not run without CD support. Then, with the help of special programs, an "image" was created and the disc could be safely returned to a friend. It was then that the *.iso format became famous. However, for some people first encountering it, it was difficult to open this strange file.
Sesame - open up
There are several dozen programs that understand the *.iso format. But they all work on a similar principle, so it is enough to consider the most common of them to get complete information
The principle of operation of the emulator program is to simulate the operation of a regular CD / DVD-ROM at the program level.
- DAEMON tools is a classic program, known since the two thousandth year, when its first version was released. Able to open many formats of "images" of discs, as well as create them. The project continues to this day. Latest version 2.2. License type: Free (for personal use)
- alcohol 120% - another program - a disc emulator. Also opens many formats of "images" and creates them. The project is in development. The latest version is 2.0.2.5830. License type: Shareware.
- UltraISO is a lesser known program for the same purpose. With its help, you can open up to 30 formats of "images", create them and record on CD. The project is actively developing. The latest version is 9.6.1.3016. License type: Shareware. There is a free version, but it works with "images" no more than 300 MB.
The size of the "images" can vary, but the most common options are 700 MB and 1.4 GB. With the proliferation of DVDs, "images" of 4 GB and more appeared. However, if you are familiar with one of the three programs listed above, there will be no problems working with *.iso.
