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Peterson Fernandes edited this page Sep 13, 2026 · 1 revision

FAQ

Short answers to frequently asked questions.


What is SimpleXisoDrive?

A Windows utility that mounts original Xbox ISO images as read-only virtual drives or folder mount points, so their contents can be browsed in Explorer or copied with normal tools.

What is an XISO?

"XISO" commonly refers to an Xbox disc image in the XDVDFS layout. SimpleXisoDrive supports both standard dumps (descriptor at sector 32) and rebuilt images (descriptor at sector 0).

Does the application modify my ISO?

No. The image is opened with read access only, and every mutating file system operation is denied. Dokan is also configured with write protection.

Why can I not write to the mounted drive?

The volume is intentionally read-only. XDVDFS is a read-only format from the original Xbox era, and keeping the source image immutable guarantees data safety.

Can I copy files from the mounted drive?

Yes. Copying files out to a normal writable location works like any other read-only drive.

Why does mounting a drive letter sometimes require administrator rights?

Creating global drive letters through Dokan is more reliable when the process is elevated (MountManager option). Folder mounts usually work without elevation.

Which drive letters does drag-and-drop use?

The first free letter among M:, N:, O:, P:, Q:, and R:. If all are in use, use the command line with a specific letter.

Can I mount multiple images at once?

Yes. Start a separate instance of the application for each image, each with its own console window and mount point. Each instance uses its own VfsContainer.

Does it support Xbox 360 or Xbox One images?

No. Only the original Xbox XDVDFS format is supported. Xbox 360 images use different file systems.

What are XGD1, XGD3, and GLOBAL partitions?

Different disc layout variants used by original Xbox discs, mostly dual-layer games. SimpleXisoDrive probes the known partition offsets and uses the first valid volume descriptor it finds. See XDVDFS Format.

Why does Explorer show 0 bytes free space?

A read-only disc has no free space. GetDiskFreeSpace reports the image size as total capacity and zero free bytes.

Why do all files show the same timestamp?

XDVDFS directory entries do not store per-file timestamps. The application reports the volume creation time from the volume descriptor for every entry.

Why do some file names look different from other tools?

Names are stored as ASCII bytes and are decoded as such. Null terminators and surrounding whitespace are trimmed, and matching is case-insensitive.

Does SimpleXisoDrive send data over the internet?

It makes three types of requests: anonymous launch statistics, a GitHub update check, and warning/fatal bug reports. Details and opt-out instructions are in Privacy and Networking.

Can I run it completely offline?

Yes. Block the hosts listed in Privacy and Networking; everything except telemetry and the update prompt works normally.

Can I disable the update prompt?

The prompt only appears when a newer release exists. Answer n, or block api.github.com.

Is there a GUI?

No. The console is the only user interface: it reports status and waits for an unmount key or Ctrl+C.

Where are the logs?

Next to the executable: logs\, error.log, and critical_error.log. See Services.

Why .NET 10?

The project targets the current LTS/current .NET line for modern language features and performance. Self-contained builds remove the runtime prerequisite entirely.

Does it run on Linux or macOS?

No. The application depends on Windows-specific APIs and the Dokan driver. A port would require a different file system driver (for example FUSE) and substantial changes.

Why does an ISO that works elsewhere fail here?

Common reasons: the image is not XDVDFS (PC ISO), it is an encrypted Redump image, it is incomplete, or it uses a layout variant that is not among the supported offsets. The error message lists every probed location.

Can I use a folder on a network share as the mount point?

Use a local NTFS folder. Drive letters and NTFS folder mount points are supported; UNC mount points are not.

Is the source code available?

Yes, under GPL-3.0: https://github.com/purelogiccode/SimpleXisoDrive.

How can I contribute?

See Contributing. Bug reports with logs are especially valuable.

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