Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
Once upon a time, CD-ROMs and other optical discs provided the much-needed storage space that hard drives lacked, but with terabyte drives, shuffling disks in and out of your tray is just a nuisance. SlySoft's Virtual CloneDrive is a free tool that creates up to 15 virtual CD and DVD drives in Windows. You can copy your CDs and DVDs to your hard drive as ISO disc images and run them normally with Virtual CloneDrive. Instead of swapping disks in and out, you can simply mount and unmount disk images with a few clicks. Virtual CloneDrive works with any kind of optical disc file, including HD video formats like Blu-Ray as well as audio CDs and data discs.
Installing and setting up Virtual CloneDrive includes choosing which file types to associate with the program, if any, on a compact Settings dialog tab that includes language choices. According to the program's manual, some users may see warning messages about unsigned drivers and logos, but these can be ignored. Setting up our first drive was so easy, we weren't sure the job was done, but when we looked in Explorer, our new virtual BD-ROM drive was present and available. We could reopen the Settings dialog from the program's System Tray icon, which also accessed the Help manual and Mount/Unmount controls for each drive. Virtual CloneDrive's options are limited, but each is useful; for instance, you can set it to automount the last image mounted, buffer the input and output, and enable the Eject command to unmount image files, just like ejecting a disc.
We created an ISO image of several discs. Next we clicked Virtual CloneDrive's system tray icon and selected our virtual drive's letter. From the drive's submenu, we clicked Mount, browsed to an ISO image, and selected it. When we returned to Explorer, our new virtual drive displayed its contents. Copied CDs and DVDs played normally in our usual player. Unmounting images is just as easy. We could also clear each drive's History or just purge images that were no longer available in the History. Virtual CloneDrive is well worth trying.
Publisher's Description
From SlySoft:
Virtual CloneDrive works and behaves just like a physical CD/DVD drive, however it exists only virtually. Image files generated with CloneDVD or CloneCD can be mounted onto a virtual drive from your hard-disk or from a network drive and used in the same manner as inserting them into a normal CD/DVD drive.
What's new in this version: Version 5.4.5 improved DVD/HD-DVD/BD emulation and added help menu to notification icon.
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All versions:
4.0 starsout of 45 votes
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Current version:
3.8 starsout of 25 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Malwares stopped me from using this"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
Dont know any
Cons
Tons of malware and registry crap added
Summary
I am pretty disappointed with download.cnet.com, I have been using this site for all my trial and free software for more than a decade now and just like always I installed whatever I downloaded from download.com without any hesitation, only to realize later I had malwares, registry optimizer (crap) and other crap installed on my laptop. I couldnt remove some of this through McAfee or Windows Defender and had to use Windows Essential only, and even then I am afraid there maybe some residual effect on my system performance.
Neither installer or any disclaimer from CNET informed me of this crap ahead of time,
This is my work machine, I have informed everyone in my company and will continue informing others on social media and forums to beware and probably not download anything from CNET.download.com anymore -
"The program just works."
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
right click mounting of .iso images.
Cons
silly looking icon.
Summary
an exceptional software program works in the background silently, this is one of them. Easy mount/unmount.
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"Lots of crap in this install"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
Don't know.
Cons
When you install this, your browser ends up with a hyjack. I had to uninstall 3 or 4 other programs it installed and then still had problems reclaiming my browsers.
Summary
Don't download it.
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"MALware that cannot be removed"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
Virtual CloneDrive
Cons
**** this nonsense. I am tired of toolbars that I am forced to download. CNET is ******* crap altogether. They can burn in hell,these *******. If you make money, you ******* ******* do it the right way, and stop being a ***** to advertisers.
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"Works as indicated"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
Easy to use and doesn't make unnecessary desktop icons. Auto-associates with ISO files and you just right-click and hit mount. Suddenly, you've got yourself a new drive with that ISO. Perfect!
Cons
None that I can find
Summary
Easy to use, free, and totally works like a real drive
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"Others like this one? Which is the best?"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
I haven't used it
Cons
I haven't used it
Summary
I'm looking for user recommendations for similar software that works as intended and doesn't add unwanted apps or crapware - thanks.
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"*DANGER* BEWARE OF MALWARE AND ADWARE DO NOT DOWNLOAD"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
Once was a great program with lots of usefulness. Runs well and is transparent.
Cons
Loaded with malware and adware. Installs programs without prompting and will load your new computer with crap that is a pain in the rear to get rid of.
Summary
Download at your own risk. This is a harmful software download and is not worth the effort of removing all the garbage it will ad to your computer. DANGER DANGER DANGER.
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"Why did this "Secure Defender" program also install?"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
As far as Virtual CloneDrive goes, it works great and saved me lots of time and DVDs. This program itself would get a 5-star rating, buuuut....
Cons
This other program was also installed on my computer, which triggered my antivirus program saying it had trojans inside of it. Some "Secure Defender" program. What the eff, CNET? Considering how I just built this computer and the .iso I downloaded was from Microsoft's website and I haven't visited any other sites, I'm pretty confident this crapware was downloaded and installed alongside of VCD. Very annoyed and disappointed in CNET.
Summary
Beware the hidden crapware installation...
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"Simple and straight forward."
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
It's a virtual clone drive in name and in functionality; nothing more and nothing less.
Cons
None so far
Summary
Get it, yo won't regret it.
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"Clear & easy way to mount ISO images"
Version: Virtual CloneDrive 5.4.5
Pros
does the job
Cons
none I've found - haven't used to create images
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