OSFMount allows users to mount local disk image files as physical disks or logical drive letters directly within Windows. Developed by PassMark Software, this utility addresses the need for high-speed data access and secure digital forensics by treating image files and RAM as functional drives. By emulating physical hardware, it ensures compatibility with system tools that typically require actual disks, making it a practical choice for accessing ISOs, analyzing forensic data, or accelerating application performance.
Key Features
- RAM Disk Creation: Users can allocate a portion of system memory to create a high-speed virtual drive. This allows browsers, databases, and other I/O-intensive applications to run significantly faster than they would on standard SSDs or hard drives.
- Write Cache Mode: While default mounting is read-only to protect data, this feature enables read-write access by storing changes in a temporary "delta" file. This preserves the integrity of the original disk image while allowing temporary modifications.
- Physical Disk Emulation: The software can mount images as physical disks rather than just logical drive letters. This distinction is critical for tools that need to interface with hardware-level attributes, improving compatibility with third-party disk management utilities.
- Forensic Read-Only Mounting: Security professionals can mount disk images in a strictly read-only state. This ensures that the original evidence remains completely unaltered during analysis, a vital requirement for digital investigation workflows.
- Broad Format Support: The tool handles a wide array of disk image formats including ISO, BIN, IMG, DD, and NRG. This flexibility eliminates the need to convert files before accessing their contents.
Use Cases
Digital forensics experts utilize this tool to analyze suspect drive images without risking data contamination, thanks to its enforced read-only capabilities. Performance enthusiasts and gamers also rely on the RAM disk function to house browser caches or game files, ensuring data is wiped instantly upon system shutdown for enhanced privacy and speed.
OSFMount remains a precise, free utility for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users who require exact control over disk image mounting and volatile memory storage.
Version 3.1.1003 — March 2024
- Resolved a critical issue where mounting a drive with physical emulation could prevent the system from booting after a restart on Windows 10 (v1809).
- Fixed a bug that prevented image files located on network shares from being mounted when using physical emulation mode.
- Implemented general stability improvements and minor bug fixes.
