How to Automatically Mount an ISO File on Startup in Windows 11

In modern versions of Windows, you no longer need third-party virtual drive software like Daemon Tools to access the contents of a disc image. Windows 11 includes native support for mounting ISO files; simply double-clicking an ISO file will mount it as a virtual CD/DVD drive in File Explorer. However, this virtual drive is temporary. If you restart your computer, the ISO file is automatically unmounted. If you rely on an ISO file for a legacy game or a specific piece of enterprise software, you can configure Windows 11 to automatically mount the image every time you log in.

How to Automate the Mount Command

We cannot simply place the ISO file into the Windows Startup folder, as that will simply open the file in its default program rather than executing the mounting action. Instead, we must create a tiny PowerShell script that executes the specific Mount-DiskImage cmdlet.

1. Right-click anywhere on your Windows 11 desktop, select New, and click Text Document.
2. Open the new text document in Notepad.
3. Paste the following PowerShell command into the document, replacing the file path with the actual location of your ISO file: Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Software.iso"
4. Click on File in the top left corner and select Save As…
5. In the Save As dialog box, click the Save as type dropdown menu and change it to All Files (*.*).
6. Name the file MountISO.bat (the .bat extension is crucial) and save it to your desktop.

How to Configure the Startup Folder

While we wrote a PowerShell command, saving it as a standard batch file (.bat) makes it easier for the Windows Startup routine to execute it without triggering complex execution policy warnings.

1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type exactly: shell:startup and press Enter.
3. A File Explorer window will open, revealing your personal Startup folder.
4. Drag your MountISO.bat file from your desktop into this Startup folder.

The automation is now active. The next time you restart your PC and log into your Windows account, the batch file will run silently in the background, executing the PowerShell command to mount the ISO. When you open File Explorer, you will see the virtual CD/DVD drive already mounted and ready to use, exactly as if a physical disc had been inserted before you turned the computer on.