what is an .iso

[UkGamer]

Can somebody tell me what the iso extension is (if it is real ) and how would i open it :confused: cheers

[Jiggy]

ISO = International Standards Organization : ISO-9660 table..

Yes its real - its a cd\dvd image file you burn to cd\dvd as is to use.

[pop pop]

Actually, it's not as mysterious as it sounds and it's very usefule. You don't "open" it per se. Whatever CD/DVD burning software you havel, say Roxio or Nero, will likely have an option along the lines of "BURN ISO IMAGE". Select your .iso file and burn it. When done, what will be on the CD is an exact duplicate of the original CD. Very handy.

[rahulkothari]

ISO stands for International Organisation for Standardisation. They are an international standard-setting body.

They have published a standard - ISO 9660 - which defines a file system for CD-ROM media. Disk images of ISO 9660 file systems (ISO images) are a common way to electronically transfer the contents of CD-ROMs. They often have the extension .iso (though not necessarily), and are hence commonly referred to as "ISOs."

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9660)
You can either choose to burn the image on cd, as pop pop said , or you can even directly open the image using softwares like WinIso etc. Alternatively you can "load" the Iso image on a "virtual cdrom drive" using softwares like Daemon Tools (http://www.daemon-tools.cc/dtcc/portal/download.php).

[UkGamer]

what if i download an iso. , do i just use that "virtual cdrom drive" thing to open it or would i put it on a cd

[jlreich]

You can go either way. Burn it on a disc or open it using a virtual drive. Which ever suits you best. The virtual drive acts just like a cd-rom only it is a software program and not a physical piece of hardware.

Hope that helps. :)