If you’ve used an ISO file in the past, you already know this handy archive format inside and out. But if ISOs are still unfamiliar to you, they might be a little tricky to get into. Without an optical drive, a system cannot be reinstalled using a regular installation disc or recovery CD. In this case, users are prompted to download and launch a ISO installer file with the corresponding memory image. But then, what exactly is an ISO file?
ISO refers to the ISO 9660 or 13346 CD-ROM format standard and refers to files that act as 1:1 disc images of optical media. These can be installation files, programs, folders, music, videos, and even video games, which one would usually use, install, or burn using optical media. With an ISO file, you can create an « image » that reproduces this type of content identically and make copies of it in the form of CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, hard drives and USB keys. The contents are not compressed, but transferred in ISO format with all their properties and structures and at the same size on disk. This is very practical when you want to back up your data, media, or entire systems.
