Qemu Simple Boot

There are two ways of testing an ISO virtual image file. First, you could write it on a disc, which pretty much defeats the purpose of ISOs. The second way is to mount the file on a virtual drive, which is easier, but you would still need to find, download and install a specialized application. There is, however, a third way, which is much easier. Qemu Simple Boot can test image files for you, through its machine emulation and virtualization capabilities. Just give it an ISO and it will take care of the rest for you.

The application is absolutely free and you can have it up and running in no time. It comes in a ZIP archive, so you only need to extract it and run in, instead of going through an installation process. It doesn't ask for any special tools or services and you don't need powerful hardware.

Qemu Simple Boot lets you perform four different tests. You can opt for an IMA test on floppy image files, an ISO test on CD or DVD virtual image files, test physical CDs, as well as local or removable hard drives. All you have to do is select one of these tests, select the file or drive and click a button to start.

Another thing you can do is choose how much memory to allocate to Qemu Simple Boot. You can allocate anything between 32 MB and 1 GB, by simply clicking and dragging a slider, in the upper-right corner of the interface.

The application works quite fast, as long as you don't test Windows installation discs or ISOs. The progress and the results can be followed on a command prompt window (cmd). There is nothing else you need to do, beyond targeting a file or drive and starting the process. Additionally, you can tick an option if you want Qemu Simple Boot to close automatically when the test is complete.

Qemu Simple Boot provides you with what's probably the easiest way of testing ISO image files and other media.