Never had problems with mounting and creating disk images. Now the scope of application of images is really huge. I often work with Windows 10 images, and now with the new Windows 11. Plus I often create a copy of the disk with drivers for the motherboard…
This article contains the best programs for mounting a disk image under Windows 10 and not only. Thanks to Microsoft for adding this feature directly to the classic explorer. It has helped me save time many times and do without third-party programs.
DAEMON Tools Lite
This is a program for creating virtual disks. Previously, recording, mounting and creating images was a popular activity. Many users remember the DAEMON Tools program. Since then, it has changed a lot. True, the Lite version has many disabled functions.
The installation process is really simple (select the free version). In the interface, select Quick Mountselect the disk image, then Open. After installation, the file association will change. You will be able to mount the disk image in Explorer immediately.
Alcohol 120%
A free version of Alcohol 120% FE was released for non-commercial use. It allows you to create only 2 virtual drives and burn 1 disc at a time. Plus a portable version called Alcohol Portable, which can be launched from anywhere.
By using File > Open… select the desired image. In its context menu Mount to device. Or Storage > Mount Image… select the image. The mounted disk will appear in the explorer. You may need to specify in the settings Number of virtual disks.
UltraISO
Previously, I used it constantly to create bootable drives and mount images. The utility allows you to easily and quickly create, organize, view, edit and convert CD/DVD image files. A trial version of the program is available.
In the section Service select Mount to virtual disk (hotkey F6). Specify Virtual CD/DVDthe exact location of the image, and click the button Edit. In the settings you can specify the number of virtual drives, at least 1 is needed for mounting.
PowerISO
This is a tool for working with CD&DVD disk images: open, extract, burn, create, edit, compress, encrypt and split. And also convert and mount ISO images to a virtual disk. Supports integration and Drag and Drop.
Set the number of drives after reboot. Click Mount > Mount Image to Drive (L:) and select the disk image. The reverse process is Remove the drive (L:). Right in the tray you can choose what to mount, unmount, etc., without launching the program.
Conclusion
To put it mildly, not much… In the process, I hoped to pick up a dozen programs for mounting images. Unfortunately, most of the applications have not been updated for a long time. For example, Paragon Easy CD/DVD Recorder and Virtual CD are not bad. And this is still with a more or less convenient interface…
Unfortunately, Microsoft Store also did not offer anything worthwhile. I did not stop at Alcohol modifications, namely: 52, 120% or Portable. All cope with mounting disk images. I hope the list of really good applications will expand.
