ok. so because i'm a student i'm told i can get huge discounts(sometimes free) for alot of software. thought i'd take advantage of it. downloaded a version of Visual Studio 2008. problem is, it's an ISO file. i've never seen an ISO file before. according to the FAQ page from the site i downloaded from, i have to burn that file to an actual disk and instal from that disk. anyone have alot of experience with ISO files? what can you tell me about them? why are they used? and why have i not ever seen one before? (i do plan on talking to my professors about this too so i'm not pinning all  my hopes on GSTWINS but, would like to hear from you guys on this subject as well) thanks in advance. 

isobuster or nero

.iso is an image file you can either burn to disk then run it from there or you can mount it to a virtual drive.

I'm not an expert by any means but I have used the virtual drive method before.

try this software or something like it. http://www.daemon-tools.cc/eng/downloads

also microsoft has a deal right now where you can get windows 7 for 30 bucks if you have a .edu email address

daemon tools works great. it creates a virtual image and you mount the ISO to a drive letter and run it like a cd. you can also try burning it to disk with nero or alcohol 120

what is the purpose of having an .iso file (that i have to do a little more legwork to use) vs something else that's a bit more, "user friendly". at least user friendly to me. maybe there's something i'm missing right now. (concept wise) i know there is a purpose for everything.  





and about windows 7, i believe that's actually on my "can download for free" list. the college i'm attending and classes i'm taking are actual microsoft IT acadamy courses.  

i'm shooting myself a bit for buying this laptop because i thought i'd save a few bucks and get one that doesn't have a CD-rom drive.  that's another problem i'm facing with this .iso file.

use daemon tools lite, its free and will let you use the iso file.

It makes your computer think the file is in a cd -rom drive without actually having to use one

thanks. i'll try it tomorrow. i got mad and deleted the file so i have to re-download it. not a problem except it takes a couple hours. (3.3GB download) 

Quote from: dohabee on September 28, 2009, 08:00:31 PM
also microsoft has a deal right now where you can get windows 7 for 30 bucks if you have a .edu email address

after you verify your email and before you click to purchase, select the option for "need to connect to your schools domain?" so you can get windows 7 pro. otherwise you are stuck with home edition

Quote from: jserio on September 28, 2009, 08:03:59 PM
i'm shooting myself a bit for buying this laptop because i thought i'd save a few bucks and get one that doesn't have a CD-rom drive.  that's another problem i'm facing with this .iso file.

or go to walmart and grab an external drive as well. eventualyl youll want oen. damn i wish i could get an edu email. heck im looking for 7 lol. dammit

Quote from: yamahonkawazuki on September 29, 2009, 02:37:14 AM

Quote from: jserio on September 28, 2009, 08:03:59 PM
i'm shooting myself a bit for buying this laptop because i thought i'd save a few bucks and get one that doesn't have a CD-rom drive.  that's another problem i'm facing with this .iso file.

or go to walmart and grab an external drive as well. eventualyl youll want oen. damn i wish i could get an edu email. heck im looking for 7 lol. dammit

enroll in a community college course and drop the class within refund deadline. THe offer goes until early next year if i recall

I don't know if a simple solution has been shown yet, but most any CD-burning software package can burn ISO files to a CD/DVD.

Can you get 3D Studio Max?

imgburn is a great program for burning image files to a disk to install them as well, i used in when i had to do the exact same thing for visual studio 2005 when i took VB last year.

...and if you're still sitting at the iMac in the lab, slip a blank disk into the slot on the right side, pull up disk utility, and burn your iso image to disk - no extra package needed.

i'm at home now sadly. but, thanks for the tip! i've copied the file to my thumb drive and i'm sure i've got a spare disk around here somewhere. i'm wondering though, once i've burned it to that disk, can i then re-copy it to my thumb drive and install it from there onto my laptop? (my laptop is where i want to use it and i saved money on it by gettin an acer with no CD drive.)

Quote from: psyber_0ptix on September 28, 2009, 08:25:27 PM

Quote from: dohabee on September 28, 2009, 08:00:31 PM
also microsoft has a deal right now where you can get windows 7 for 30 bucks if you have a .edu email address

after you verify your email and before you click to purchase, select the option for "need to connect to your schools domain?" so you can get windows 7 pro. otherwise you are stuck with home edition

What do you think the chances are of them "contact[ing] you to verify that you are a current student. If documentation is not provided indicating that you are a current student, you will be liable to reimburse Microsoft for the difference between what you paid and the estimated retail price of the software."?

I have a valid .edu address, but I'm gradumatated.

Quote from: manofthefield on September 29, 2009, 07:02:28 PM

Quote from: psyber_0ptix on September 28, 2009, 08:25:27 PM

Quote from: dohabee on September 28, 2009, 08:00:31 PM
also microsoft has a deal right now where you can get windows 7 for 30 bucks if you have a .edu email address

after you verify your email and before you click to purchase, select the option for "need to connect to your schools domain?" so you can get windows 7 pro. otherwise you are stuck with home edition

What do you think the chances are of them "contact[ing] you to verify that you are a current student. If documentation is not provided indicating that you are a current student, you will be liable to reimburse Microsoft for the difference between what you paid and the estimated retail price of the software."?

I have a valid .edu address, but I'm gradumatated.

as long as you still have access to the email it doesnt matter. Just enter your email (twice) click the link they email to you to register, but make sure you select "Have to connect to your schools domain?" to get the pro version. Enter your info, pay and wait till the 22 till they email you your registration code and link to download the ISO of windows 7. Burn to disk and install with code they emailed

Quote from: jserio on September 28, 2009, 08:02:14 PM
what is the purpose of having an .iso file (that i have to do a little more legwork to use) vs something else that's a bit more, "user friendly". at least user friendly to me. maybe there's something i'm missing right now. (concept wise) i know there is a purpose for everything.  





and about windows 7, i believe that's actually on my "can download for free" list. the college i'm attending and classes i'm taking are actual microsoft IT acadamy courses.  

good question ! the reason there are files called 'iso' is because there are standards ! standards for disk images mean that wehn you make a disc image, a dvd / cd burner can dump it right to a cd/dvd and it will be playable/readable on a computer/whatever that is made to read the medium. because of wonderful things like standards, when an ISO is created, it's very portable, very easily written, and very easily checksummed against a master image.

short version: you can CHECK an image of a disk before you burn it, know that it is correct, NOT corrupt, and in exact the same condition as a cd, which was pressed somewhere in japan by whoever presses them.

isos, standards, and check sums are awesome things that mean ALL YOUR BITS stay exactly as intended, whether you rip/burn/copy/email/upload/download etc

when some companies (that will rename nameless because they SUCK) try to prop up their business by creating new filetypes for no other reason than to REQUIRE THEIR SOFTWARE TO USE SAID FILETYPES it really ticks me off. there are torrents out there, proven to be seeded from corporate servers for the only reason to increase the revenue. odd huh ?


yes, standards love you. wether it's a 1" standard for setting micrometers in a US factory, a 40mm standard used in a Euro factory, an aerospace spec on blueprints, or a simple (HA !) cd image.

btw - if you were using a mac, or a linux machine, you'd see just how many things are built in to the operating system. things like cd ripping, burning, compressing, and duplicating.

now, get me started on DMCA stupidity another day

Power ISO
ISO Magic
Daemon Tools +1
Alcohol 120 will do the job as well I think.

.ISO files are the most stable image files I have used to date.  Other image files have not been as good but thats only on stuff that I use.