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Virtual drives allow your computer to read ISO files (.iso Disc Image Files) just like how physical CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives read physical CD/DVD/Blu-ray discs. Versions of Windows from Windows 8 onward natively support ISO files, so no third-party application is necessary to create and use a virtual drive. However, versions of Windows prior to Windows 8 require third-party software to create a virtual drive that reads ISO files. Below are instructions on how to use a virtual drive in Windows 8 and later.

Instructions:

1. Right-click the ISO file that you want to open and select Mount to mount the ISO file into the virtual drive (this is analogous to inserting a physical disc into a physical drive).
   
   
   
   
2. The contents of the mounted ISO should immediately appear in File Explorer (just like if you inserted a physical CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc into a physical disc drive). If for some reason you don't see the mounted ISO, go to This PC and you will see the mounted ISO appear in a new disc drive letter. NOTE: Some programs may require you to click an executable file (often named setup) to initiate an installation.
   
   
3. When you are finished with the ISO, right-click the drive the ISO is mounted in and then select Eject to unmount the ISO (this is analogous to ejecting/removing a physical CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc from a physical disc drive). NOTE: If you are installing a software program that requires the use of multiple ISO files in sequence, when the program asks for the next ISO file, make sure you unmount the ISO file that is currently in the virtual drive before mounting the next ISO file. If you don't, the next ISO file will be mounted in a different virtual drive and the installer/program won't automatically find it.