How to Install a Program from an ISO File in Windows 11/10/7

An ISO file, also known as an ISO image, refers to an archive file containing an identical copy of an entire optical disc like a CD or DVD. Some games, massive software such as Microsoft Office, and Windows operating systems are made available as ISO files.

Unlike the .exe file, you may not have any idea about how to install a program from an ISO file. Relax yourself and below are multiple ways you can try in Windows 11/10/8.1/7.

Install Software from an ISO File via Mount in Windows 11/10/8.1

Windows 11/10/8.1 allows you to mount the ISO image as a virtual drive and access all the contents to install a program. The steps are simple, as follows:

Step 1: Press Win + E to open Windows Explorer, locate the ISO file, right-click on it, and choose Mount.

Step 2: In the virtual drive, you will see an installer that shows setup.exe. Double-click on it to complete installing your program by following the on-screen instructions.

Use a Third-Party to Install a Program from an ISO File

If you are a Windows 7 user, the PC doesn’t have the Mount feature which is only available in Windows 11, 10, and 8.1. So, how to install a program from an ISO file? You need to rely on a third-party application that can mount an ISO image or open & extract contents from the ISO file.

Some file archivers such as 7-ZIP and WinRAR support the ISO file format, helping access its contents. You can download and install either of them, then right-click on the ISO file, choose Open with, and select 7-ZIP or WinRAR.

If you want to mount ISO in Windows 7 to install software, resort to Virtual CloneDrive which supports mounting ISO images as virtual drives. Free download and install this utility, right-click on the ISO file of a program in Windows Explorer and choose the Mount (Virtual CloneDrive) option.

Then, a prompt will pop up prompting if you want to run the setup file or open the folder. Just choose to install the software.

Burn ISO to a Disc for Software Installation

Another option you can try to install a program from an ISO file is to burn this image to a disc like a DVD or CD, or a USB flash drive for the installation. Also, this way is useful if you would like to clean install any Windows version from ISO.

Step 1: Insert a disc into your computer.

Step 2: Right-click on the ISO image and choose Burn disc image.

Step 3: The built-in Windows Disc Image Burner opens and chooses a CD/DVD, you need to tap on Burn to proceed.

Alternatively, you can use Windows USB/DVD Download Tool, a free Microsoft utility, to copy ISO to a disc or USB drive:

Step 1: Download this tool online and install it on your PC.

Step 2: Launch this tool and choose the ISO file you have got.

Step 3: Choose a media type, USB device or DVD.

Step 4: Tap on Begin copying.

Once done, you can open your disc or USB drive in Windows Explorer and then begin installing the software.

Further Reading: Install Windows 11/10/8.1/7 from ISO

Installing software from an ISO file is different from installing Windows from ISO via a disc or USB drive. If you need to clean install the system, burn ISO to USB using Rufus to get a bootable Windows drive, insert the media to your PC, boot the system from it, and then enter the Windows Setup interface. Next, complete the installation as per the popped-up prompts.

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Bottom Line

How to install a program from an ISO file in Windows 11/10/8.1/7? In this post, you know some details and just choose one way as per your situation to install the software.