I recently downloaded an ISO file for an Xbox 360 game, but when I checked my downloads folder, it showed up as a WinRAR file instead of a proper ISO. I want to know how to get it to function correctly as an ISO file. The file is labeled as .ISO but Windows is treating it like a WinRAR archive. Any help would be appreciated! By the way, I own the physical copy of the game I downloaded, just to clarify this is not about piracy. Sorry if my English isn't great!
4 Answers
It might be worth checking what you're considering piracy, just to be on the safe side. On the other hand, don't worry too much about WinRAR being the default for ISO files, just focus on ensuring your download is safe and virus-free.
To clarify, all files can be seen as archives in some sense, but ISO files are designed to be disc images. You installed WinRAR or updated it, and it might have taken over the file associations. You can set Windows or File Explorer as the default to handle ISO files, right-click the ISO, choose 'Open With', and select your preferred program.
ISO files are essentially archive files, and your computer is using WinRAR to open them by default. To use the ISO, just open the program you want to mount it with, and you should be able to access the contents without any issues. Windows should handle ISO mounting pretty well these days.
You likely need to change your file associations for ISO files. When WinRAR is installed, it can set itself as the default app for opening ISOs, which is probably why it's showing up that way. Just right-click on the file, go to Properties, and under 'Type of file', it should say 'Disc Image File'. If it doesn't, you can manually change the default program to Windows File Explorer to handle ISOs correctly.
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