How to Mount or Burn an ISO Image in Windows 8 and Windows 10

The Windows File Explorer lets you burn disc image files to a DVD

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Updated on September 10, 2020

Windows offers built-in support for mounting and burning image files using the File Explorer app. Here's how to mount and burn an ISO file to a DVD in Windows 8 and later.

Instructions in this article apply to Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8.

ISO Burning vs. Mounting

ISO files, also called disc image files, contain an exact copy of a disc, whatever that disc may contain. When you burn an ISO file to a DVD, you are creating an exact duplicate of the original disc, not just the files on it. If the original is bootable, the copy will be too; if the original includes copyright protections, the copy will too.

When you mount a disc image file, Windows creates a virtual drive for your ISO file as though it were a physical disc. This allows you to watch the movie, listen to the music, or install the application from the file without ever having to burn the data to a disc.

It's also possible to burn an ISO file to a bootable USB drive.

How to Mount an ISO File in Windows 8 or Windows 10

To mount a disc image file in Windows:

Select the ISO file you want to mount in the File Explorer, then select the Disc Image Tools tab at the top of the window.

The Disc Image Tools tab only shows up when an ISO file is selected.
Select Mount in the top-left corner.
Windows will create a virtual drive and immediately open the contents of the image for you to view.

If you click This PC/My Computer in the left pane of the File Explorer window, you'll see your virtual disc drive appears right along with any other drives you have installed on the system. At this point, you can copy files from the image to your hard drive, install an application, or do whatever you want.

How to Unmount an ISO Image in Windows

Once done, you'll want to unmount the image file to take back the system resources used. To do so, right-click the virtual drive in the File Explorer window and select Eject.

Right-click the virtual drive in the File Explorer window and select Eject.

How to Burn an ISO File in Windows 8 or Windows 10

To burn your ISO file to a disc in Windows:

Insert a disc into your disc drive.

Make sure you pick a disc that matches the original format. For example, don't try to burn a DVD image to a CD-R.
Select the ISO file you want to mount in the File Explorer, then select the Disc Image Tools tab at the top of the window.
Select Burn in the top-left corner.
Select your disc burner, then select Burn.

You have the option to select Verify disc after burning to make sure no files were corrupted. This will add considerable time to the process.