How to mount a folder as a virtual CD or DVD drive?

I want to mount a local folder as a virtual CD/DVD drive to allow me to run a program without having the CD mounted physically.

I know I could burn it to an ISO file and mount that as a virtual CD/DVD drive using Daemon Tools or similar programs, however I would prefer if I could mount it directly from a folder.

I have looked at this question, however there was no useful answers as the asker wanted to boot from the folder, which is not possible:

How to mount a folder as a virtual CD/DVD drive?

Tyilo

Posted 2012-12-20T19:20:02.717

Reputation: 2 345

Answers

You could map the folder as a network drive.
You would need to share it out then map network drive in explorer using localhost for the machine name.

I tried it with a CD and it worked for me.

It does not work for everything though.

Ray Cathode

Posted 2012-12-20T19:20:02.717

Reputation: 21

You should write here the concrete steps for mapping the folder, APART from reference to the source. – Gangnus – 2018-01-02T21:34:06.093

It is not possible to mount a folder but you can mount your iso file easily by right clicking on Virtual demon manager > Virtual CD/DVD Rom > Device > Mount Image

as you mount you will find auto run asking for installing program, open folderwise or so many choose whatever you want.

If you want this image to boot a system as you may have made an iso of bootable disk then you can use your pendrive by making pendrive bootable using this iso.

A. Prasad

Posted 2012-12-20T19:20:02.717

Reputation: 719

Why are you lying? What are you talking about? A folder IS mappable, and always was. ISO should-be mappable, but that stuff simply doesn't work at all due to MS origin. – Gangnus – 2018-01-02T21:33:27.987

-1

There is a problem with what you are trying to do.....the installation of a specific program might involve: (1) modications to the Windows system for drivers and patches, (2) the installation itself generally litters the registry landscape as well as other parts of the filesystem, and (3) keyed security on each application could be quite different and would not be contained in the folder.

So if you need to use an application, in general, you are going to have to install it from the vendor supplied item.

Thus, just burning a DVD of the folder will not work for the same reasons given above.

mdpc

Posted 2012-12-20T19:20:02.717

Reputation: 4 176

The folder contatins the content of the CD. – Tyilo – 2012-12-20T19:43:26.260

Should be no problem in running the installation program from the folder. – mdpc – 2012-12-20T19:44:32.930

The problem is not the installation program. The problem is running the program after installation as it requires the CD to be mounted like old games etc. – Tyilo – 2012-12-20T19:48:02.493

Then this is something that you might want to take up with the vendor of the program as this looks like some type of licensing issue. – mdpc – 2012-12-20T19:49:30.770

1So you don't actually have an answer to my question... – Tyilo – 2012-12-20T19:50:15.227

However, in our exchange we have clarified the problem you are having so that others might be able to help. In the future, it would help everybody to put forth this type of information in the question. To me it now looks like perhaps you are trying to override some type of vendor licensing scheme. – mdpc – 2012-12-20T19:51:31.270

Often these types of setups are to save disk space for large programs, and unrelated (or only incidental) to any kind licensing or copy protection. – Daniel Beck – 2012-12-20T20:11:15.117

@DanielBeck - You may be right, Microsoft Office is an example, where it will request that you mount the CD if you are using a feature that is marked as such during installation. I think that the prompt does allow you to point to a directory location however. – mdpc – 2012-12-20T20:13:54.023

I had an issue like this with Gamin Maps. My laptop dvd drive broke. After a ton of research there is a way around it. But it was more trouble then it was worth and ended up just buying maps from another vendor. Garmin lost a lifelong customer that day. – NitroxDM – 2012-12-20T20:17:15.490

@Tyilo - guess the simple answer is to burn the ISO, and mount it as a virtual CD/DVD as you stated before. – mdpc – 2012-12-20T20:22:27.317