Have you ever downloaded an ISO file and wondered what to do with it? More and more software companies are now distributing their software using ISO files. Here is what you can do with an ISO file.

Nowadays, every company seems to be using ISO files to distribute software. ISO files are just images of a CD or DVD. They are commonly used to deliver bootable software.

Now, really quickly, ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. They have a set standard (ISO 9660) for the file system used for optical disks (CD, DVD, BD, etc.).

Even Microsoft has started using ISO files to distribute its software. If you download Windows 11 or Windows 10, you will have the option of downloading an ISO file.

But what do you do with the ISO file once you have downloaded it? If you are running Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7, you have three (3) options: mount it as a virtual drive, burn it to a disk, or create a bootable USB drive.

You can also create ISO image files. For more information, check out How to create ISO files from your software disks.

How to mount and access files in an ISO file

By default, Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1 can mount an ISO file as a virtual optical drive. Windows 7 requires a third-party program to mount an ISO file.

Once you mount an ISO file as a virtual drive, you can access the files and folders inside it. Most of the time, you will use this feature to run software installations.

Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1

1. Open File Explorer (name changed in Windows 8.1) by using one of the following:
• Left-click on the manila folder icon to the Taskbar.
or
• Press the Windows logo key + E at the same time.
2. Navigate to the ISO image you want to open.
3. Right-click on it and select Mount on the context menu that appears. Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1 automatically assign the next available drive letter.
   
4. Using File Explorer, navigate to the virtual drive you just mounted. You can now use it as you would with any other physically attached optical drive.
5. When you finish with the virtual drive, you can remove the drive by right-clicking on it and selecting Eject on the context menu that appears.
   

Windows 7

For Windows 7, we are going to use the open-source optical drive emulator WinCDEmu. Just download and install it using the default settings. Once WinCDEmu is installed, an ISO image is mounted, similar to Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows 8.1.

1. Open Windows Explorer by using one of the following:
• Left-click on the manila folder icon to the Taskbar.
or
• Press the Windows logo key + E at the same time.
2. Navigate to the ISO image you want to open.
3. Right-click on it and select Select drive letter and mount on the context menu that appears.
   
4. On the WinCDEmu screen that appears, select the drive letter you want to use for the virtual optical drive and left-click on OK.
   
5. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the virtual drive you just mounted. You can now use it as you would with any other physically attached optical drive.
6. When you finish with the virtual drive, you can remove the drive by right-clicking on it and selecting Eject on the context menu that appears.
   

How to burn an ISO image file to a disk

The process for burning an ISO image to disk is the same for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. Just make sure you have the correct blank media for the disk you want to burn.

For example, if your ISO file is under 700 MB (Megabyte), it will fit on a CD. If it is between 700 MB (Megabyte) and 4.7 GB (Gigabyte), then it will fit on a DVD. If it is between 4.7 and 8.5 GB (Gigabyte), it will fit on a Double-Layer DVD. Anything over 8.5 GB (Gigabyte) will go on a BD.

For more information on Megabytes and Gigabytes, check out What is a Bit? What is a Byte?.

Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7

1. Open File Explorer (Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1) or Windows Explorer (Windows 7) by using one of the following:
• Left-click on the manila folder icon to the Taskbar.
or
• Press the Windows logo key + E at the same time.
2. Navigate to the ISO image you want to burn to disk.
3. Right-click on the ISO files and select Burn disk image on the context menu that appears.
   
4. On the Windows Disc Image Burner screen, select the optical drive you want to use to burn the disk from the pull-down menu. You can also verify the disk after it is created. When you are ready, left-click on the Burn button.
   
5. When the optical drive is finished burning the disk, left-click on the Close button.
   

How to create a bootable USB drive from an ISO file

When you want to create a bootable USB drive, you will need a USB flash drive that is empty or that you do not mind if it gets erased. If you are going to use a USB flash drive that has been used before, double-check it to make sure there is nothing on it you may want to keep.

Remember to use a USB drive larger than the ISO file you want to put on it. A good rule of thumb is to use one with a capacity of more than 4GB. I prefer using 8GB or larger, as Windows does require a USB drive with a minimum capacity of 8GB.

To create a bootable USB drive, you will need to download and install a separate program. There are several on the Internet, but one stands out above the rest: Rufus.

Create custom Windows installation media with Rufus

Rufus requires no installation. Just download it, and it is ready to go. There are a lot more options, including partition scheme, file system, and cluster size. You also have more boot options, including MS-DOS and FreeDOS.

Did you know that Windows limits the length of a file name? Did you know that the character limit also includes the folder name? And what about the Path? Let's look at the long folder and file names in Windows.

I recently recovered files from several Windows computers for a client. He asked that I put them onto an external drive for storage, but I ran into a problem: the file names were too long.

Many people think the maximum length for a File's name in Windows is 255 characters. But that is not correct. Technically, Folders are also files, but they have a unique attribute designating them as Folders.

The full name of the File also includes the Folder and Sub-Folder names. So, the File's actual name also consists of the Folder and Sub-Folder name(s) as well. All of these names factor into the 255-character limit.

So, when you include the names of the Folder, Sub-Folder(s), and File together, it is called a Path. A Path is a string of Folder, Sub-Folder, File, backslashes, and sometimes a volume name (drive letter).

The Path to a Folder or File on your computer will initially contain a drive letter (C:, D:, etc.). A Path to a network Folder and File will contain just two (2) backslashes (\\) at the beginning. A Path can be up to 260 characters in length.

For example, let's say you have a file named 'My Text File.txt' in a Sub-Folder of your Documents Folder called 'Simply Text Files'. The complete Path for it would be:

C:\Users\username\Documents\Simply Text Files\My Text File.txt

The name of the File itself is only 16 characters, but with the name of the Folder and Sub-Folders included, it is 59 characters. And the complete Path is 62 characters. And yes, spaces do count as characters.

So, getting a long name error does not necessarily mean the actual name of the File is too long; it just means the length of the names of the Folder, Sub-Folder(s), and File altogether is. The simplest solution is to shrink the Folder or Sub-Folder(s) name(s) and leave the actual File name alone.

In my case, I was dealing with a couple of thousand File names that were too long. I needed help determining where all of the Files were on the drives, so I went looking online for a program that could help me with this issue.

What I found was a neat little program called TLPD (Too Long Path Detector).

It showed me where all the long file names were. Lucky for me, they were grouped in Folders and Sub-Folders with reasonably long names.

So, using the output from TLPD,

I started shortening the Folder and Sub-Folder names. I kept running TLPD until all the Paths were down to under 225 characters. Then, I could copy all of the Files to an external drive for storage.

There may be a time when you need to run a program in Windows that does not have a shortcut to it. Usually, this program is not often used. So here is how to start an application using the Run dialog box.

The Run dialog box is for running programs that you don't necessarily use that often and do not have a shortcut. These programs may be system applications or downloaded installation programs.

There are two (2) ways to use the Run dialog box. If you know the name of the application you want to start, type it into the Run dialog box and click OK.

For example, if you have Microsoft Word installed on your computer, you can type Winword (the actual name of Microsoft Word) in the Run dialog box and click OK. Microsoft Word will then start. That is because the program directory is in the Path (it is an environmental variable). The Windows system directory is in the Path by default.

If your program is not in the Path (the system variable used to locate executable programs), you must click Browse and manually find the program you want to start. Once you have the program's name in the Run dialog box, click on OK.

Now, bringing up the Run dialog box is relatively simple. The way you get to it is different in each version of Windows, but there is one keyboard shortcut that works for all versions.

Windows logo key + R

Here are all the ways to access the Run dialog box in the different versions of Windows.

How to bring up the Run dialog box in Windows 11

The Run dialog box in Windows 11

1. Left-click on the magnifying glass to the right of the Start button to bring up the Search dialog box.
2. Type Run into the Search box and left-click on the app Run.

Or

1. Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu.
2. In the upper right-hand corner of the Start menu, left-click on All apps.
3. Scroll down the list of programs and left-click on Windows Tools.
4. Left-click on Run.

Or

1. Right-click on the Start menu to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Left-click on Run.

Or

1. Press the Windows logo key + X to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Press the R key.

Or

1. Press the Windows logo key + R.

How to bring up the Run dialog box in Windows 10

The Run dialog box in Windows 10

1. Type Run in the Search box (Cortana) on the right side of the Start button.
2. Left-click on Run in the search results.

Or

1. Left-click on the Start menu.
2. Scroll down the list of programs until you come to the Windows System folder.
3. Left-click on the Windows System folder to expand it.
4. Left-click on Run.

Or

1. Right-click on the Start menu to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Left-click on Run.

Or

1. Press the Windows logo key + X to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Press the R key.

Or

1. Press the Windows logo key + R.

How to bring up the Run dialog box in Windows 8.1

The Run dialog box in Windows 8.1

1. Left-click on the Start button.
2. When the Start screen appears, type Run. It will automatically bring up the Search dialog box with Run in the search field, and the results will appear below it.
3. Left-click on Run.

Or

1. Right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Left-click on Run.

Or

1. Press the Windows logo key + X to bring up the Power User menu.
2. Press the R key.

Or

1. Press the Windows logo key + R.

How to bring up the Run dialog box in Windows 7

The Run dialog box in Windows 7

1. Left-click on the Start menu.
2. Navigate to All Programs > Accessories.
3. Left-click on Run.

Or

1. Left-click on the Start menu.
2. Type Run in the search box right above the Taskbar.
3. Left-click on Run in the search results.

Or

1. Press the Windows logo key + R.

With the recent outbreak of data-encrypting malware, keeping your computer secure is a significant issue. There isn't just one thing you can do to secure your computer, but multiple. So here are a few ways to make sure your computer is as secure as possible.

Operating system security

Is your device up to date?

Keeping your operating system up to date is essential for security. Microsoft does an excellent job of issuing patches and updates for Windows, especially when they discover a new vulnerability.

But if you do not keep your OS up to date with patches and updates, you could be making your computer vulnerable to current or future exploits. If you are still using an OS like Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 that does not have support from Microsoft anymore, you need to upgrade your OS.

If you have turned off Windows Update, turn it back on. And if Windows Update is not working correctly, here is how to fix it.

Troubleshooting Windows Update problems

Anti-virus security

Is your anti-virus up to date?

A good anti-virus program is essential for security. You can get an anti-virus program with all the bells and whistles (firewall, identity protection, custom browser, etc.). Or you can get one with just a virus scanner. Either way, you have to have some form of protection.

Now, Microsoft has an anti-virus program inside Windows (Windows Defender), which works reasonably well. But there are plenty of other anti-virus programs out there, including a security suite your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may provide.

But if you want to know how they all stack up, go over to the independent IT security institute AV-Test. They test all of the most popular anti-virus programs regularly. They cover multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, and Android).

AV-TEST | Antivirus & Security Software & AntiMalware Reviews

I like using a layered approach to my computer security, using different programs that complement each other.

How to use layered security to protect your computer

Web browser security

Is your web browser up to date?

In my book, having a secure web browser is mandatory. Since web browsers have become targets for online exploits, you must know your browser is safe and secure. I like the fact that Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge check for updates when you start them up.

There is one thing I like to do to my browsers to improve their security, and that is integrate my anti-virus program into them using an extension or add-on. And since ads are also becoming an issue, I suggest using an ad blocker like Adblock Plus. There is a version for almost every browser.

E-mail security

Is your e-mail secure?

E-mail is currently one of the most popular ways to spread malware. You have to be very careful with what e-mail attachments you open. Knowing how to spot a piece of spam e-mail is essential.

How to spot a piece of spam e-mail

I use the anti-spam program Mailwasher to filter out the junk and spam from my e-mail. I also have configured my anti-virus program to monitor Mailwasher for viruses, even though Mailwasher, by default, renders all mail in text format and cannot open attachments.

But when Mailwasher downloads a suspicious attachment, my anti-virus program scans it and flags it as such. I use the Pro version, but Mailwasher has a free version sponsored by advertising.

Eliminate spam and junk mail with Mailwasher Pro 8

Password security

Are your passwords secure?

Reusing passwords is a big security no-no. It's nice to remember your passwords easily, but it can be a nightmare if someone can guess them. That is why you do not want to use the same password repeatedly.

If you are like me, creating a unique password for every different place you log into can be challenging. Luckily, there are password generators that can make it easy to create secure passwords. One of my favorites is the Norton Identity Safe Password Generator.

Norton Identity Safe Password Generator

Using the Norton Identity Safe Password Generator, you can create passwords up to 32 characters long that have mixed case letters, numbers, and punctuation with no similar characteristics.

Now that you have generated a secure password, why not test it out? Gibson Research Corporation (GRC) has a bunch of cool security tools on its website, one of which is Password Haystack.

Password Haystack

Password Haystack is a brute-force password calculator that will tell you how long it will take to guess any password. Go ahead and enter your chosen password and see how long it can take to hack it. You may be surprised at how little time it can take to crack it.

Are you having problems finding Windows drivers for your older hardware? Or have you had an update to Windows recently fail to install and want to install it manually? Then the Microsoft Update Catalog may be just what you need.

Sometimes repairing Windows computers can be hard, especially when it comes to drivers and updates. Usually, using the standard means of obtaining drivers (Device Manager / manufacturer website) and updates (Windows Update) is relatively easy.

But there are times when I cannot find a device driver or an update to Windows fails to install. That is when I go over to the Microsoft Update Catalog and see what I can find.

The Microsoft Update Catalog is a collection of Microsoft drivers, hotfixes and software updates like Windows Update. They are the same files you receive through Windows Update.

Just like Windows Update, there are three (3) types of updates: Important, Recommended, and Optional (drivers). The only difference is that you can choose what version you download.

Searching the catalog is relatively straightforward. For failed updates, I use the Knowledge Base (KB???????) number. For drivers, I use manufacturer/model number or the hardware id from Device Manager.

Finding and installing Windows Updates

Now before downloading updates, make sure that Windows Update is working correctly. Check the Windows Update history and see if all updates are failing to install or if it is just one.

If all updates are failing, take a look at this article, Troubleshooting Windows Update problems. If it is only one particular update that is failing, then I would go ahead and download it then manually install it.

First, you will need the Knowledge Base number from the Windows Update history to use for the search query.

Once you have it, type it into the search field and click on Search.

The second thing you will need to know is what version of Windows you have and if it is 32-bit or 64-bit for the search results.

Some updates are specific to one version of Windows. Some are general, across the board, every version of Windows.

Once you find the update you need, click on the Download button. A separate window will open with the update name and link to it. Just left-click on the link and choose whether you want to open it or save it. Since some of these can be rather large, I like to download them to my computer first, then install them.

Finding and installing Windows device drivers

Usually, the Device Manager inside of Windows works great for finding device drivers. If there is a driver for your version of Windows, it can automatically download and install it.

But what happens when there is not a device driver for your version of Windows? That is when you need to look for one for a previous version of Windows. Let me explain.

For example, you find that Windows 10 doesn't have a driver for your older hardware. You check the manufacturer's website, and they do not have one either. Or worse, they have gone out of business.

For this exercise, I will use a Windows 10 computer and a brand-new RAID controller I have had sitting here for around eight (8) years or so. The box indicates the last operating system that was supported was Microsoft Vista, so it is safe to say that Windows 10 will not have a driver.

Usually, the first thing I do is psychically check the device for any manufacturer name or model number. If I can find a model name or number, I use it as the search query in the Microsoft Update Catalog.

If I cannot find anything on the device that identifies it, I install it a computer and start it up.

I then go into Device Manager and let it try to find a driver. If Device Manager cannot find a driver, I use the hardware id

as a search query in the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Now I know that there are no drivers for Windows 10, so I have to find one for an earlier version of Windows. I will first look for a Windows 8.1 driver, then a Windows 7 driver, then a Windows Vista, and then a Windows XP driver.

As long as it is the right platform (32-bit or 64-bit), I should be able to use it.

Once I find a driver, in this case, it's for Windows XP 64-bit, I download it to a folder on my local drive. Now the downloaded driver file will have a .CAB extension, so before I can use it, I will need to extract the data from it.

Once I get the files/folders extracted, I go into Device Manager and select Update Driver. I then select Browse my computer for driver software. From there, I browse over to and select the folder where I extracted the driver files. I also check the Include subfolders checkbox. I then click on Next,

and Windows 10 installs the driver.

For more information on the Microsoft Update Catalog, follow the links below.

Microsoft Update Catalog
How to download updates that include drivers and hotfixes from the Windows Update Catalog