A return to .ISO

[agibsonsw]

Hello.
If I obtain an MS Technet subscription, then downloads are largely as .ISO files. I'm failing to understand these files but for this post I'm just looking for some straight-forward advice .

Once I've downloaded an ISO file to my laptop would "mounting" it mean that an extra (virtual) drive is created that effectively behaves like, for example, "C:\Program Files\Office 2010"? That is, I would create shortcuts to, for example, "J:\Office 2010\Office14\EXCEL.EXE' and be able to use the applications without a full install?

Alternatively, I believe that I can extract/unpack the ISO and then run the appropriate install .exe or .msi file? (I did this recently with VB Express.)

Also, if anyone has a Technet subscription perhaps they can advise if licencing permits me to install the same application on more than one computer? That is, for my sole use - but on different computers.

Andy.

[DaveA]

Have a look here
http://ask-leo.com/what_are_iso_files_a ... _them.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and here http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsi/g/isofile.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Windows 7 come with a ISO file extractor and the extracted files can be saved to disk or burned to a CD or DVD.

[HansV]

If you download the .iso for Office 2010, you're downloading an image of the installation CD (i.e. a bit-by-bit copy of the contents of the installation CD), not of the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 2010 folder.
You can basically use this .iso file in two ways:
- Burn it to a CD, which then becomes an installation CD for Office 2010.
- Use ISO-mounting software that lets you open the .iso file as if it were a CD (it becomes a simulated or "virtual" CD drive).
You can use either to install Office 2010.
If you want to install Office 2010 on multiple PCs, it's probably easier to burn the .iso file to CD - once you've burnt it, you can use it wherever you need it, without requiring additional software.
If you want to install from a virtual drive on multiple PCs, you'll need to install the software that lets you open an .iso file on each of those PCs.
In both cases, you'll still need valid software keys.

[agibsonsw]

Thank you Dave and Hans. I think the penny has finally dropped .

The key point that I was always missing was the distinction between copying and burning the .iso. I couldn't see that copying the .iso to a CD or DVD achieved anything, so I never understood it's purpose. But I now see that "burning" to a CD, in this context, requires specific software that unpacks/ disassembles the .iso to its original content. That is, I've always understood burning to just be a synonym for copying.

So it seems also that burning and mounting are the same thing, except that burning refers to a physical CD and mounting creates a virtual drive/cd?

Re Technet: If the software is for my own use then I presume I should be able to copy it to more than one computer - in fact, this seems to be the original purpose of .iso files. But if there is some feature within the iso that prevents this, then I (again) presume that my subscription would enable me to download an application more than once?

Regards, Andy.

[HansV]

Burning and mounting are two completely different actions.

Burning an .iso file to CD means that it is copied to the CD in such a way that it becomes the entire content of the CD. If you look at the CD in Windows Explorer after burning, you will *not* see an .iso file, but the same files that you would see if you bought the installation CD.

Mounting an .iso file means opening it as if it were a CD.
When you insert a CD in a physical CD drive, the software built into Windows makes it look like a disk drive, say E:
When you mount an .iso file using special software, an extra drive letter will be created temporarily in Windows Explorer, say G:, and this G: drive will behave just like your CD drive E: although it is not a physical drive. You can't touch this G: drive, it exists in your computer's memory only, and it will disappear when you "unmount" the drive or exit Windows.
You can run programs directly from G: (in this example the installation program for Office 2010), or copy files from it to your hard disk.

[agibsonsw]

Found this:

As far as Technet goes, I called Microsoft on the issue and they have no problems whatsoever if a home hobbyist buys a copy of Technet and uses all of the software provided on multiple computers within their own home for their own personal use. Microsoft only has an issue if you try to run or support a business with Technet software or if you share your technet software/keys with another person.

Thanks again, Andy.

[agibsonsw]

Burning and mounting are two completely different actions.

Thanks Hans. I appreciate that they are different actions - but, as I interpret it, the end result is similar. That is, one results in a physical CD and the other results in a virtual, perhaps temporary, drive letter that behaves as though it were a CD. Both would have the same files and file structure(?).

Andy.

[HansV]

Both would have the same files and file structure(?).

Yes.

[John Gray]

Also, if anyone has a Technet subscription perhaps they can advise if licensing permits me to install the same application on more than one computer? That is, for my sole use - but on different computers..

Yes, it does, but you must obtain the individual licence keys from the Technet site, one per PC, and the maximum number is usually 5.

[agibsonsw]

Also, if anyone has a Technet subscription perhaps they can advise if licensing permits me to install the same application on more than one computer? That is, for my sole use - but on different computers..

Yes, it does, but you must obtain the individual licence keys from the Technet site, one per PC, and the maximum number is usually 5.

Thank you John

Just to clarify, this 5 limit applies to a standard subscription (rather than professional)?
Would I download an application once and obtain another key (for another computer) or download it (again) on each computer?

Well, I say "each" but I've only two laptops.. possibly three in about an hour . (I'm going to need a bigger boat, I mean bag..)

[John Gray]

I don't know about the standard subscription - our work has the Pro. I usually obtain all the five available product keys for a particular product I want and save them for later use. A year or so ago you used to get up to ten licences, but Microsoft reduced the number.

You only need to download an application once (and burn the ISO to CD!). You can use the CD on laptops and PCs up to the number of licences you have, one licence/product key per PC/laptop.

[Rui]

Technet Standard allows for 2 keys and Professional allows 5 keys per product. Microsoft changed this a year ago or so, from the previous 5 and 10 values.

[agibsonsw]

Thanks both