Windows versions prior to Windows 8 cannot view the content of CD/DVD images such as .iso files without the use of an external program. A long time ago I used to use a free program called Daemon Tools to open/mount CD image files. Nowadays there are several alternatives out there, but nearly all of them seem to have issues on Windows 7. Old versions of Daemon Tools don’t work. Newer versions allegedly include browser toolbar spyware, as do most other free alternatives. Microsoft’s Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel is buggy and unsupported (I couldn’t get it to work and it seems that I’m not alone). The list goes on.
However, after hunting around, I discovered a great program called WinCDEmu. It’s free, doesn’t include include any spyware, works nicely on Windows 7 64-bit, and is even available in a portable version so that you don’t have to install anything! In future I will be using this tool on the rare occasions that I need to use ISO files while supporting clients running Windows machines. Kudos to the authors!