Is ALL software & media trending to downloads/.iso's?

On 03/16/2015 I was introduced to a concept about software that I was not aware of. As I was trying to configure a laptop (for purchase) I was introduced to the fact that laptops are "trending away" from being made with internal DVD/CD drives. I had a really good conversation with a top 5 laptop manufacturer sales person. She was all business and not just a sales person. Thus, this thread has diversified questions about that knowledge gained.

It appears as though the media industry (according to the sales rep) is trending away from CD's DVD's and henceforth the DRIVES that run them are trending out of newer laptop configurations.

1) If I purchase a laptop without a CD/DVD/RW drive then I have a potential problem because of owning some software programs that I would want to install on the new laptop. Is it possible to take the software manufacturer's DVD and/or CD install disks and make .iso's from them (using my tower computer) and then install those programs onto the laptop hard drive?

:wave:majorNOW - I fully realize this is close to a 'piracy' procedure. FORUM - PLEASE UNDERSTAND I am not that kind of person. I have a personal concern/need here that I am earnestly trying to consider and solve.:wave:major

2) My pickup truck is set up with a stand that holds my laptop. I take the laptop on trips with me for use as a GPS unit (using GPS laptop software) and for my wife to watch movies - Are there LEGAL websites where I can download movies from vast libraries? I'm not interested in buying a ton of current releases, but rather, movies that I have not seen that are maybe 3 to 10 years old.

3) I going to answer my own question here. I use a DVD/RW drive on a daily basis to backup the daily work data using a software backup program (Nova Backup; which I really like). The problem is limited GB's. Thus, on the laptop, as well as the desktop tower, - I assume the logical solution would be to change over to USB drives.

4) I do realize that I can buy an external DVD/RW drive. Funny how the dollar signs keep stacking up :-D:cry. Now back to concern #1) above - If I can get my GPS software and my Nova Backup software turned into an .iso then I would have no immediate need to purchase a physical external DVD/RW drive. Or for that matter maybe never.

AGAIN I STRESS - I have HONEST interests here, but, your answers may influence people that choose to push the gamut. I'm not trying to sound goodie two shoes - but - there are people out there that choose to cross the line. I don't choose that path.

Thanks,

Dekade

 

Thank you Musksnipe,

Well, that was easy. I guess I am a little antiquated in how a lot of computer stuff functions; especially in today's world of social media and the likes. In the next few days I will be doing some dry runs between desktops to try things out with thumb drives.

By the way, nice to meet you, have not heard/seen your handle before today on the forum.

Thanks again,

Dekade

 

Regarding Netflix as shown as the Gold winner position on the link ...

... is it possible to download movies from Netflix to save on a thumb drive or laptop hard drive? Reason being - I do not have constant access to the internet when in a vehicle. Thus, I have to save stuff for later viewing. If so, how would I go about doing that? I have been a Netflix member for years.

 

To use the ISO file, you need an Image Drive to 'mount' the file. Alcohol 52% is free.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/alcohol_52.html

 

Please elaborate on what the "Image Drive" does and why it is needed. What is 'mount'. If you don't mind the extra typing to tell me.

 

This next line comes from the Alcohol 52% link.

Does this include manufacturer's software CD's and DVD's? Just trying to get all of this under my belt for applying to my needs. Can more than one SOFTWARE PROGRAM .iso be put on a single thumb drive?

 

Hi plodr,

Thanks. :cool I am absolutely 'lovin' this new knowledge. Kinda like coming out of hybernating. Can't understand why it took me so long. :confused

 

Okay, so, that leaves me to online movie libraries. No biggie I guess; just $$$.

 

An Image Drive is a CD/DVD/BD Drive that exists in software. (Much like a virtual printer or PC). Instead of loading a disc, you mount an image in the drive. When you open Computer, you'll see the CD/DVD/BD Drive icon, right-clicking the icon you'll have mount/unmount options.

What this means is you can mount up to 31 images (you'll have 31 virtual drives), and you don't have to unmount an image to mount the next. The no. of ISO files you can save to a thumb drive is only limited by the latter's capacity.

FYI
1. I prefer Virtual Drive but the files are called image files because they are exact copies of the discs - like a photo.
2. You can only burn 1 ISO file to a disc... unless you manipulate to ISO files. Let's leave that for another day.

 

About 8 years ago I bought a netbook that didn't come with an optical drive. I immediately purchased an external to use with it. I used the external drive 2-3 times then never needed it again. I advise against buying an external.

If your new laptop has Windows 8.x on it, then you do not need any 3rd party app to mount an ISO as a virtual drive. Double-clicking on an ISO from within File Explorer will mount the ISO, right-click and select "Eject" to dismount it. BTW, this feature is included in Win 10 as well.

The majority of software that comes on optical disks is not copy protected so can easily be copied to a thumb drive and installed from there. The exceptions are games which may be copy-protected or disks that need to be booted from such as an OS install disk. For OS installs, you need to first create a bootable thumb drive, then the OS install files can be copied to it.

So yes, software is trending toward downloadable (not necessarily ISOs) and the optical drive is quickly going the way of the floppy drive.

 

True, I use IZArc. I didn't want to complicate things... and maybe I did just that :-o

 

Okay ... so ... I have some studying to do on this thread - and - some experimenting to get at. I'll be back with any :cry's for help.

However a few more clarifications -

Does this mean only 1 ISO file per thumb drive - no matter the size of the thumb drive?
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Will the originally suggested IMGBURN open the .iso's? Or do I need WinRar or equivalent?
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Thus the Virtual Drives method allows for multiple .iso's on one thumb drive - correct? That would be what I would like. Thus having a thumb drive that could be kept in a safe place with all of the .iso's on them. Don't worry Eldon - I don't think you complicated anything. I think, if what I am questioning, is correct then you simply exposed/expanded on something of greater value, potentially, to me. And - you use a program called IZArc to do this?

 

In many cases you dont need ISOs, you can copy the files off the disk to a USB key and run them from there. Games ususally still need the disk for DRM reasons or loading cut scenes. DVDs you can rip using various softwares, which you can then copy to a USB key. If you have another PC with a CD-ROM, you could share it and copy the CD/DVDs to your other computer. Seriously external DVDs are only $30.

You can put many ISOs on a key, you do not have to mount them all - just when needed.
https://www.raymond.cc/blog/10-free-software-to-mount-cd-or-dvd-iso-image-file-as-virtual-drives/

FYI links are embedded in the post.

 

Per Eldon: You can only burn 1 ISO file to a disc...

Does this mean only 1 ISO file per thumb drive - no matter the size of the thumb drive?

A disc is a CD/DVD/BD. You burn a file, in this scenario, an image file to the disc. You can put as many ISO files on a Thumb/Pen/Flash Drive as the drive can accommodate.

Thus the Virtual Drives method allows for multiple .iso's on one thumb drive - correct? That would be what I would like. Thus having a thumb drive that could be kept in a safe place with all of the .iso's on them. Don't worry Eldon - I don't think you complicated anything. I think, if what I am questioning, is correct then you simply exposed/expanded on something of greater value, potentially, to me. And - you use a program called IZArc to do this?

You are confusing Virtual Drives & Thumb Drives. You can have as many ISO files on the thumb drive as it can hold. Then you can mount each of those ISO files in a virtual drive. All you have to do is plug-in the thumb drive, after you mounted the ISO files, and each of those mounted files will be available.
They stay available until you unmount them.

Forget about IZArc - it's an archiving program like WinZip. An image file is an archive... with a difference. Most (good) archiving programs can open image files but, at this point I think you should concentrate on imaging.

 

Okay - understood.

 

For the ultimate in ISO storage, I have one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817379030

At first glance it seems like an ordinary external drive case but it has a capability that I haven't seen in any other device. It can mount an ISO from the internal hdd and appear to the machine as an optical drive THAT CAN BE BOOTED FROM.

All of the 3rd party utilities mentioned above can mount an ISO but only after the OS has already been booted. That means that the ISO cannot be booted from. Not all ISOs are bootable but ISOs for OS install disks are bootable so if you want a way to store bootable ISOs this is one of the few ways to do it so that the you can boot from that ISO as well.

I have dozens of ISOs on my Zalman. It works with different OSes like Windows or Linux as well as any other software in the form of an ISO. I just select the ISO to mount and the Zalman mounts it. I can then plug it into a machine and boot it up. The machine sees the Zalman as an optical drive with the selected ISO mounted and bootable.

There are some tools that will allow you to put some ISOs on a thum drive and boot from them but they only work with certain ISOs. The Zalman works on all ISOs since it is hardware based and not software based.

 

I've been using Grub4DOS as boot manager on main and on external drives for at least ten years and it has always had that capability. The ISOs can be stored anywhere - on the HDD or on the external itself. Not only that, but it also frees you to install any OS in any order in your partitions, ridding us of the nonsense of the Microsoft boot manager which require that oldest Windows version be installed first, and rendering the system unbootable if you try to remove it.

 

Would you recommend Grub4DOS to the OP? It's really meant for much more advanced users. The Zalman doesn't need to be installed or configured.

Unfortunately, I learned after I posted about my Zalman that the Zalman company has gone out of business. Looks like you can still buy it from a few places but the company is gone.

 

No, of course not, not because it is difficult to use but simply because it's never made it into the mainstream and therefore less experienced users would find support rather hard to find. But it is a graphic demonstration of how rigid and stuck in the mud Microsoft are about some things. When they brought in the BCD with Vista they had a golden opportunity to introduce a boot system that would make life a lot easier but they ignored it, maybe because they feared Linux might suddenly emerge from the shadows if they made dual booting it too easy. I'm no fan of Linux but Grub4DOS completely seduced me all those years ago

 

As I have been learning tons of stuff - FROM MAJOR GEEKS - here is what amazes me. There are tons of millionaires within and retired from Microsoft. It is simply amazing the depth of knowledge from Major Geeks.com participants. So, that said, how the heck could all those intelligent (now millionaires) screw it all up so much???? I guess the answer would probably be - too many 'MicroChiefs' and no indians.

With the knowledge base of MAJOR GEEKS.com Microsoft should have chosen to proceed as open source. :-D