Arsenal Image Mounter vs StarWind RAM Disk

Arsenal Image Mounter mounts disk image contents as complete disks in Windows, making disk-specific features accessible. Free Mode includes temporary write support, command-line executables, PowerShell modules, and tools to identify, unlock, decrypt, disable, or suspend BitLocker-protected volumes. Professional Mode can start virtual machines from disk images, physical disks, or remotely connected disks. It adds Recon Reports for triage and can expose NTFS metadata, slack, and unallocated space through file system driver bypass mode. Listed formats include raw and DMG; support for AFF4, E01, limited Ex01, and S01 depends on available libraries, alongside several virtual machine disk formats. Professional Mode connects to remote disks over a network using AIM Remote Agent. Arsenal recommends Windows 10 version 1703 or later, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016/2019 x64 with.NET 10 on bare metal for full functionality. Linux support is described for a CLI and offline license activation. Free Mode costs nothing; paid plans start at $907 a year.

StarWind RAM Disk is a free Windows utility that uses available system RAM as a virtual storage device. It is aimed at testing and development, troubleshooting, and specialized uses such as online payment services or on-the-fly encryption where volatile data is acceptable. The product page says users can create a disk in a few clicks without additional hardware and choose its size from available RAM. Persistent mounts are supported, while virtual disk files are not. StarWind lists the utility as free without hidden payments, required extra licenses, or time limits; its plan is free. A download link appears on the product page, and the maker’s download page lists the utility among Windows software. StarWind’s support navigation includes a forum and knowledge base. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, USA. No named integrations are listed.