2 Available Methods | How to Create an ISO Image of Your Operating System

What is an ISO image, and what can you do with it?

An ISO image file contains items related to an operating system. An ISO image file is also referred to as an ISO file. It includes everything needed to boot a computer or install an operating system. Creating a Windows ISO image from an existing operating system means making a System Image of the current Windows OS.

Backing up your operating system is crucial, so that you can quickly restore it in case of a crash. If the backup file is an ISO image, you also gain some advantages over other imaging backup formats:

1. An ISO image is bootable, so you can use it to recover your computer if it has startup issues. 2. It's easy and convenient to deploy to other computers. 3. It can operate independently of backup tools or cloud services. 4. You can run the ISO image on a virtual machine.

Two Ways to Create a Windows Operating System Image File

So how do you create a Windows ISO from the current operating system? There are two methods to make a Windows ISO image of your computer.

1. Method 1: Create a Windows ISO image using third-party tools 2. Method 2: Create a Windows 10 ISO image with the Windows Media Creation Tool

Method 1: Create a Windows image using third-party tools

The main purpose of creating an ISO image from the current operating system is to make a bootable recovery drive or deploy the system on different computers. Hence, you can create a system backup or a bootable media to achieve this goal. That's where professional backup software like Todo Backup comes in handy.

Todo Backup Free is a powerful system backup tool that can automate backups. You can set it up to run backups at regular intervals. It can also automatically back up files to an external hard drive. This is most useful for keeping your backups up to date.

Now, let's see how to create a system backup of your Windows computer with Todo Backup.

Step 1: Launch Todo Backup, click “Create Backup” on the main interface, and then click the big question mark to select backup contents.

2. To back up your Windows operating system, click Operating System to begin the backup.

Step 3: All system-related files and partitions will be selected automatically, so you don't need to do it manually. Then, click on the highlighted area to specify a location to save your system image backup.

**Step 4.** You can choose another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, a network, cloud storage, or a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device as the backup location. Typically, we recommend using a physical external drive or the cloud to store your system image files.

5. If you want, you can customize your settings by turning on daily, weekly, monthly, or event-triggered automatic backups, as well as differential and incremental backups. Click "Options" and then "Back up now" to begin the Windows backup process. The completed task will appear as a card on the left side.

Method 2: Create a Windows 10 ISO using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool

Microsoft recommends that Windows users download the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a Windows 10 ISO. The tool is free to download from Microsoft's website, and you can use it quickly and easily to create a bootable Windows 10 USB device or an ISO of Windows 10.

Here are the detailed steps to create an ISO image for Windows 10:

First (Step 1), download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website and, when prompted, select the option to Create installation media for another PC. Then choose USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file, and click “Next.”

Then, choose the language to create the installation media for, the edition of Windows, and the architecture, and then click “Next.”

Step 3: Choose the media you want to use. For this example, we'll be using a USB flash drive. Select “USB flash drive” and click “Next.”

**Note:** Your USB flash drive must be at least 8 GB in size.

Step 4: Select the USB device you want to use to create your Windows 10 installation media, then click “Next.”

5. The Media Creation Tool will then begin downloading the Windows 10 installation files to your computer.

6. When the download finishes, it will start creating the Windows 10 installation media.

7. When it's done, click Finish, and you'll be able to boot from your USB drive and install Windows 10.

Free ISO Creator Software versus the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool

Both tools Todo Backup and the Windows Media Creation Tool can help you make an ISO image of your operating system, but they differ significantly.

Todo Backup Free is one of the best backup tools available in the market. It is compatible with various versions of Windows, such as Windows 11/10/8/7. Moreover, it is an all-in-one backup utility that supports multiple backup types, including system backup, file backup, disk backup, and partition backup. You can perform scheduled backups, full backups, differential backups, and incremental backups. Additionally, it offers 250GB of free cloud storage space. Most importantly, it is user-friendly, allowing you to complete the backup process with just a few simple clicks.

The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool is a well-received utility that lets you easily upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10 without any hassle. You can also use it to create a Windows 10 installation USB or DVD for a fresh install or to fix a problematic computer. However, it is only compatible with Windows 10/11 and not with other Windows versions. Unlike tools like Todo Backup, which is a dedicated tool for creating Windows 10 ISO images, this means it can't be used for anything else. Additionally, the process of making a Windows 10 ISO image with the Media Creation Tool is more complex compared to Todo Backup.

Final Thoughts

Creating an ISO image of Windows is quite useful before major system upgrades. The ISO image of Windows 10 can simplify computer deployment and installation. In short, you can use tools like Todo Backup and the Media Creation Tool to make a Windows 10 ISO. We recommend using Todo Backup because it can do much more for you.

Tools Todo Backup is a good tool for this job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can WinRAR create ISO files?

Once associated, you can create an ISO by adding files to a RAR file. Select the files you want to burn to ISO, click “Add,” and under “Archive format” select “RAR.” This new RAR file can then be burned to disc in software like WinDVD, Nero, or ImgBurn as if it were an ISO.

2. Can an ISO file be bootable?

An ISO file packages all the Windows installation files into one uncompressed file. You can download an ISO file and then create a bootable installation file from a USB drive or DVD by copying the ISO to the drive and running the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.

Third, why is it important to make an ISO file?

By creating an ISO file from a disc, you can make a digital backup of the physical disc. You can then mount the ISO file on new computers that don't have disc drives, or use it to burn new discs in the future. You can also share the ISO file with others.