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General discussion

Why ISO/Image files ? reasons /good /bad

by DADSGETNDOWN Apr 4, 2008 4:50PM PDT

Hello, Don't know exactly which forum to put this in.
I am wondering if some "know-it-all" will tell me,
ALOT about ISO's/image files ?. I don't get what it really is,
why we would use it.
(maybe this shows my knowledge), to me an ISO or image would be the
same as using COPY. (did that make you laugh?)
Why make, or burn, or use ISO when I can just burn the files or Cd's ?
Please explain, clue me in.
So the Whos, whats, whens, wheres, whys and whatfors, goods and bads,
on ISO/or image files.

Discussion is locked

2 Posts

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What is an ISO image file?

by PudgyOne Apr 4, 2008 5:05PM PDT

An ISO image file is a disk that was burnt as an ISO image. The disk is done this way and in bootable. Only ISO image files are bootable on disks.

More on iSO image files can be found here.

Rick

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ISO files...

by John.Wilkinson Apr 4, 2008 11:10PM PDT

Consider you have a CD containing over 5,000 files. Since a folder cannot be uploaded/downloaded you would have to upload/download each of those 5,000 files individually, which is tedious at best. You could place them is a standard ZIP file to solve that problem, but ISOs have an advantage over ZIP files...they can include additional information about the original CD, including bootability. Thus, you can use the 'burn image to disc' option in most burning software and create an identical copy of the original using the ISO file without all the hassle.

Hope this helps,
John

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