I recently needed to run an ISO file on Windows Vista. I could have burned the file to a CD/DVD and run it from there, but since I only needed to run it once, it's far easier to mount it virtually. Here's how to do it.

Installing Virtual CloneDrive

1. Install Virtual CloneDrive from SlySoft. The download link is the last one on the list or here's a direct link Virtual CloneDrive




• I left all the settings as their defaults. You may want to take some time to decide which files you want CloneDrive to associate itself with.

Opening/Mounting .iso Files Virtually

1. After CloneDrive is installed, it's incredibly easy to mount an ISO file. If you left CloneDrive as the default program for managing .iso files, you can simply double click it.
   


2. If you chose not to make CloneDrive the default program for .iso files, no problem. You can either right click it and choose 'Open With...' or in Vista, there is an option that is added to the toolbar (I'm not running XP, but I would assume there is a similar feature)
   

That's All! ...Right?

Technically you're done. If you want to configure CloneDrive there are a few options you can play with. Open the actual CloneDrive program (via the shortcut that was placed on your desktop, or through the Start menu).

The main option you may change is the number of virtual drives that it can mount. If you need several .iso files to be mounted at once, CloneDrive can handle up to 15 (no idea why...). For the most part, 1 is fine, but there are some cases where it's nice to be able to mount several files at once.

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