Phantom CD for Windows

Personal computers have become mini entertainment centers, useful for listening to CDs, watching DVDs, playing games, and much more. Optical drives can get worn out with a lot of use, though, and CDs and DVDs are subject to wear and tear as well. A disc image is exactly what it sounds like: a virtual copy of a disc's contents that's stored on the computer, eliminating the need for physical media and the use of the optical drive. The average media player, however, can't handle disc images, and that's where Phantom CD comes in.

First, a word about what Phantom CD doesn't do: it will not create disc images for you. If that's what you're after, you're going to need to find another program. Phantom CD does, however, mount disc images that you've already created, allowing you to access them just like any other files on your computer. The program's interface is basic and quite intuitive, with all of its features fitting into three buttons; users can mount an image, mount the most recent previous image, and unmount the image. That's pretty much it. The program supports the use of ISO, CUE, and VDD files, and we had no trouble with any of them. Phantom CD has a built-in Help file that's brief but adequate. Overall, Phantom CD is pretty bare bones, but it works well enough if all you need is a way to view disc images.

Phantom CD is free. It installs and uninstalls without issues. We recommend this program to all users.