ISO Images - Mount or Unmount

How to Mount or Unmount ISO and IMG image in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

Windows 8 supports native ISO and IMG mounting and unmounting.

This tutorial will show you how to mount or unmount an ISO image in Windows 8 and 8.1.

   Note

You are unable to edit an ISO image using Windows 8.

OPTION ONE

To Mount an ISO or IMG Image File in Windows 8

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1. Do step 2 or 3 below for how you would like to mount the image file.​

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2. To Mount an ISO or IMG File using Context Menu​

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A) Right-click or press and hold on the .iso or .img file, and click/tap on Mount, and go to step 4 below.​

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OR​

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B) In File Explorer, select (highlight) the .iso or .img file that you want to mount, click/tap on the Manage (Disc Image Tools) tab, click/tap on the Mount button in the ribbon, and go to step 4 below.​

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3. To Mount an ISO or IMG File using PowerShell​

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A) Open PoweShell, type the command below, press Enter, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

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Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "Full path of ISO file"​

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   Note

Substitute Full path of ISO file in the command above with the actual full path of the image file's location within quotes.

   Note

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4. A new window will pop-up showing the opened mounted ISO or IMG image and it's contents.​

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5. You could also double click/tap on the mounted image (DVD drive) in the This PC (Computer) window in File Explorer to open and see the contents of the .iso or .img file.​

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OPTION TWO

To Unmount an ISO or IMG Image File in Windows 8

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1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for how you would like to unmount (eject) the image file.​

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2. Restart the computer to unmount all mounted ISO, IMG, VHD, and VHDX files.​

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OR​

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3. In the Computer window in File Explorer, right-click or press and hold on the mounted ISO or IMG drive, and click/tap on Eject.​

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OR​

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4. Open an elevated command prompt, type the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​

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mountvol DriveLetter: /d​

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   Note

Substitute DriveLetter in the command above with the actual drive letter of the mounted image file.

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Related Tutorials

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• Burn "ISO" or "IMG" Disc Image file to CD/DVD in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Mount and Attach a VHD or VHDX File in Windows 8
• How to Unmount and Detach a VHD or VHDX File in Windows 8
• How to Create or Download a Windows 8 Upgrade ISO

 

[Dave76]

Nice tut, thanks.

 

[kbronski]

Native mounting? Sweet, love it!

 

[Darryl Licht]

What a cool new feature! Im happy with Win7, but looking forward to Win8!

 

[raine369]

Can you unmount from the command line? I mounted an iso from a network drive and must have lost connection for a moment. Now everytime I right or left click explorer stops responding.

 

[raine369]

had to cold boot the tablet to get it to let go of the mount.

 

[fafhrd]

I find mounting an iso as simple as double-clicking the iso file in Explorer, and the new virtual CD/DVD drive opens in the Explorer window. Right click the virtual CD/DVD drive and select eject to unmount it. The mount is not persistent and will not remain on the next reboot.


If you need to reconnect to the iso regularly, a shortcut to the iso file on the desktop will work, but pinning the mounted virtual CD/DVD drive to the taskbar will not.


If you wish the virtual CD/DVD to be available when Windows opens, copy the shortcut to the iso file to your startup folder:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup


You can then pin the Virtual CD/DVD to Start if you wish.

What is more, VHD files mount with a double-click too!, which makes playing with virtual drives easier than ever. Here again, Eject on the right-click menu unmounts the VHD. The VHD can also be automatically mounted from the Startup folder when Windows 8 opens.

 

[loquacious]

Is there a way to mount "bin" files?

 

[fafhrd]

I think "bin files" cover so many types of binary data you wouldn't have a hope of safely opening them except by the program that is specifically intended to handle it's own "bin files".

In the context you mean, Magic Iso I believe does open these DVD images. Google bin files and there's plenty of relevant stuff.

Windows does not handle missing source image files for the mounted volumes very gracefully yet - it needs to be as clean as removing a removable disk or usb device, not hang your system searching for it. It's the same with missing network shares sometimes. We've used floppy drives in PCs, and the subst command for nearly 30 years, it's about time Microsoft got this right.

 

[GMan]

It's the same with missing network shares sometimes. ...it's about time Microsoft got this right.

Hallelujah, praise the truth. Preach. Church. Amen and all the other feel good stuff that people say when there's an epiphany.

And here I thought the issue was something senseless only applicable to my administrating. I have found registry edits at times that helped but no solid perfect/reliable way.

Windows 8 here has Windows Explorer hang issues when a mapped drive to a turned off laptop is not available. Even just opening Winrar takes about a full minute. Once I rid the unavailable share, issues resolve immediately.

I should Wireshark it to see if anything I can figure out is going on.

 

[fafhrd]

It'll only go when the basic devices don't depend on being enumerated in the registry. That's why I go on about C: drives. look how simply 'nix does it - everything's a file - not entries in a non-relational, obscurely structured database with unintelligible codes nested 20 deep.

 

[Ztruker]

I don't have a Manage tab on File Explorer/Windows Explorer. Does this require hardware virtualization to work? I don't have it since this is a Intel P4.

 

[Brink]

Hello Rich,

Your association for .iso files may not be set to default. If you like, the .iso option in the tutorial below will restore the default associations for it, and hopefully you'll have the Manage tab when you select an .iso file afterwards.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8486-default-file-associations-restore-windows-8-a.html

 

[Ztruker]

Thanks Shawn, that was it. The default was set to IsoBuster. Restored default and it works a treat. I like it!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Rich. I'm glad to hear all is well again.

 

[balubeto]

Using the command prompt in Windows 8.1 update, how do I mount and unmount an ISO image?

Thanks

Bye

 

[Brink]

Hello Balubeto,

You could mount an ISO or IMG file using the command below in PowerShell.

Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "Full path of ISO file"


Mount-DiskImage

To unmount the ISO or IMG file, you could use the command below in an elevated command prompt. It would be the same as ejecting the drive.

mountvol DriveLetter: /d


I've updated the tutorial to add this to help.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[balubeto]

Hello Balubeto,

You could mount an ISO or IMG file using the command below in PowerShell.

Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "Full path of ISO file"


Mount-DiskImage

To unmount the ISO or IMG file, you could use the command below in an elevated command prompt. It would be the same as ejecting the drive.

mountvol DriveLetter: /d


I've updated the tutorial to add this to help.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

It is possible to do it even with a command not Powershell?

Thanks

Bye

 

[Brink]

You could type powershell in a command prompt first, press Enter, then use the command below in the command prompt. It won't work in one line though.

Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "Full path of ISO file"