Solo Technology

About two years ago I wrote a little article mentioning a pair of free Microsoft tools that are useful when working with ISO images.  Since that time, I’ve repeatedly searched that article out as I have built or reloaded my machines. 

Since I find these so useful, and a few more people visit now than 2 years ago, I thought I’d have my first “re-run” and present them again.  Enjoy!

1. Isorecorder
   

   ISO Recorder is a tool (power toy) for Windows XP, 2003 and now Windows Vista, that allows (depending on the Windows version) to burn CD and DVD images, copy disks, make images of the existing data CDs and DVDs and create ISO images from a content of a disk folder.

   Yep, a “burn ISO to CD” Power Toy. How cool is that?
   No need to buy and install software to burn an ISO to a disk, just right-click and go.

2. Win XP Virtual CD ROM Control Panel: (that’s a direct download from Microsoft, there really is no web page). Just as you might surmise, it’ll mount an ISO and treat it as a CD. A bit primitive, but the price is right. Here is the install info:
   

   Installation instructions
   =========================
   1. Copy VCdRom.sys to your %systemroot%\system32\drivers folder.
   2. Execute VCdControlTool.exe
   3. Click “Driver control”
   4. If the “Install Driver” button is available, click it. Navigate to the %systemroot%\system32\drivers folder, select VCdRom.sys, and click Open.
   5. Click “Start”
   6. Click OK
   7. Click “Add Drive” to add a drive to the drive list. Ensure that the drive added is not a local drive. If it is, continue to click “Add Drive” until an unused drive letter is available.
   8. Select an unused drive letter from the drive list and click “Mount”.
   9. Navigate to the image file, select it, and click “OK”. UNC naming conventions should not be used, however mapped network drives should be OK.

   You may now use the drive letter as if it were a local CD-ROM device. When you are finished you may unmount, stop, and remove the driver from memory using the driver control.

It may seem a bit complex, but you can have this installed and an ISO mounted to a drive letter in about a minute.

This is awesome when working with our MSDN subscription — I just download the ISO files, rarely do I actually burn them to a physical CD/DVD.

Are there other great (and free) utilities for working with ISO images in Windows?  Share!

4 Responses to “Free Windows ISO Toys”

1. Shantanu on September 19th, 2007 4:50 am
   

   This is cool! Didn’t know about these ISO power-toys before, even though I use many of the others.

2. David on September 26th, 2007 4:30 am
   

   First one is REALLY cool. It makes it that much quicker when you just want to make some ISOs for other people with data from your PC. It’s nothing other full-blown software can’t do (like Nero or Easy CD Creator), but this is SO much faster.

3. Brian Horn on September 27th, 2007 10:54 am
   

   Never used them.

4. Chris on September 27th, 2007 2:18 pm
   

   Thanks guys, glad you all liked the article

   Well, except for Brian. But he’ll like it after he tries ‘em out.

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