The ISO format remains the industry standard for virtual optical disc images. Nonetheless, Windows does not natively support the creation of ISO files. Instead, it only allows you to open and mount them in a virtual drive, yet the process is not particularly intuitive. Although optical discs might not be as popular as they once were, ISO files present a great way to copy and archive optical disc images on your computer or other digital storage device. This is particularly useful in the case of cheaper optical discs, which tend to have a limited lifespan and be particularly prone to developing errors due to scratches and general wear and tear. At the same time, making an ISO file allows you to distribute an entire virtual CD or DVD image over the Internet, without having to be reliant on physical drives.

Active@ ISO Manager is a simple yet powerful utility that allows Windows users to author, edit and burn ISO images and then mount them as such that they function in much the same way as a physical disc. The software also allows you to create an ISO file from an existing physical DVD or CD, making it a great way to back up, archive and share an existing collection. With this utility at your disposal, you can quickly and easily create ISO images of either physical discs or any selection of files and folders on your computer. There are no file size limitations of the ISO format itself either, so you can also use it simply to back up and archive any files you want and then mount them on your computer so that the contents of the file acts as a separate physical disc. As such, Active@ ISO Manager can still be useful even if you don't have an optical disc drive at all.

This utility greatly extends upon the limited native support for ISO files that Windows already provides. You can easily extract files and folders from an existing image, burn ISO images to discs and edit the image files. Active@ ISO Manager supports all mainstream optical disc formats, including HD DVD and Blu-ray. To further simplify and automate the ISO image creation process, the software also automatically saves the parameters you enter when you first use it. Previous settings will automatically appear in the dialog, although you're free to change them whenever you need to.

Active@ ISO Manager is designed to save time and automate some of the more routine processes associated with creating, editing and burning ISO images. It provides full support for the command line interface, allowing more experienced users to create batch tasks and leave the software to take care of the otherwise repetitive work involved. Even for less experienced users, the powerful command line support is easy to use thanks to the list of commands and instructions available on the website.

Active@ ISO Manager 6.0.3 presents many new improvements and bug fixes as well as new security keys and a simpler activation process. There's also an update module for registered users that automatically checks for updates when you run the program. Finally, the latest edition uses the current Qt 5.6, compiled with Visual Studio 2015 for added functionality and reliability.