How to open .iso files

Disc image files explained — how to mount, extract, or burn them on any operating system.

Updated April 2026 6 min read Beginner
Quick answer
  • Windows 10/11: right-click the .iso → Mount. It appears as a virtual DVD drive.
  • Mac: double-click the .iso — macOS mounts it automatically.
  • To burn to a USB stick (for installing an OS), use Rufus (Windows) or balenaEtcher (cross-platform).

What is an ISO file?

An ISO file is a complete copy (an image) of a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc packaged into a single file. It preserves the exact disc structure, which is why they’re commonly used to distribute operating system installers and large software packages.

You can either mount an ISO (use it as a virtual disc without burning it) or burn it to a physical disc or USB stick.

Mount an ISO on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 support ISO mounting natively.

  1. Right-click the .iso file Windows 11: choose Show more options first.
  2. Click “Mount” A new virtual drive appears in File Explorer (usually E: or F:).
  3. Open it like a normal drive Run installers, copy files, or browse contents.
  4. Eject when done Right-click the virtual drive → Eject.

Mount an ISO on Mac

  1. Double-click the .iso macOS mounts it as a virtual disc.
  2. Open it in Finder A new icon appears in the sidebar.
  3. Eject when done Click the eject icon next to the ISO in Finder’s sidebar.

If double-click doesn’t work, right-click → Open With → DiskImageMounter.

Extract an ISO (without mounting)

Sometimes you just want the files inside an ISO without mounting it — for example, to edit before burning.

  • Windows: right-click ISO → 7-Zip → Extract Here. Gets you all files as a regular folder.
  • Mac: The Unarchiver extracts .iso files like any archive.
  • Linux: mkdir iso-mount && sudo mount -o loop file.iso iso-mount

Burn an ISO to USB (for installing an OS)

Simply copying an ISO to a USB stick doesn’t make it bootable. You need a tool that writes the disc structure correctly.

On Windows — Rufus (recommended)

  1. Download Rufus from rufus.ie. It’s free, portable, and tiny.
  2. Insert your USB stick (8+ GB for most OSes; 16 GB for Windows 11).
  3. Run Rufus, choose your USB drive under Device.
  4. Click “Select” and choose your .iso
  5. Click “Start” Warning: this erases everything on the USB. Confirm you’ve backed up anything important.

On Mac/Linux — balenaEtcher

balenaEtcher has the same process on any OS: select ISO, select drive, click Flash. Idiot-proof.

Burning erases your USBBoth tools completely wipe the destination drive. Back up any files first. This isn’t reversible.

Burn an ISO to DVD or Blu-ray

Windows: right-click .iso → Burn disc image. Built-in since Windows 7.

Mac: open Disk Utility → File → Open Disk Image → File → Burn. (Only works on Macs with an optical drive or an external DVD burner.)