An ISO file (also known as an ISO image) is a disk image file that contains the entire contents of an optical disc, such as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc. The ISO file format is designed to represent the data on the disc in a single file, making it easy to store, transfer, and replicate the content without losing any information.
ISO files are often used for distributing software, operating systems, and other large sets of data. When you create an ISO image from a disc, it essentially captures a bit-for-bit copy of the original data, including the file system, folder structure, and all the files contained on the disc.
The term "ISO" is derived from the International Organization for Standardization, which established the standard for this file format. Despite the name, ISO files can contain data from various types of optical discs, not just those that adhere to ISO standards.
To use the contents of an ISO file, you can either mount it as a virtual drive, allowing your computer to treat it as if it were a physical disc inserted into a CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive, or extract the files from the ISO to access them individually. Many operating systems and third-party software tools provide built-in support for working with ISO files.
