Development Windows
BuildIso
Build BIOS-bootable ISO images from an OS development project with BuildIso, a free, MIT-licensed Windows console tool. This download selects the publisher-labelled stable v2026.2.
Version 2026.2 · Direct publisher file
Link checked · Download guidance
What is BuildIso?
BuildIso packages an operating-system development project into a bootable ISO image. The selected v2026.2 release adds files from the ISO root recursively, uses an El Torito boot image and supports Joliet. It is a project-building tool for OS developers who already have a bootloader and files to include, rather than a source of ready-made operating systems.
The publisher distributes it as a portable executable. Start it without arguments to enter an OS project path, or use the documented Visual Studio External Tools integration to pass the project directory. The version-specific README describes boot/boot.bin and iso_root/ as the input layout.
This entry deliberately links v2026.2, which the publisher calls its first fully stable release. The newer v2027.1 advertised on the homepage is explicitly described as beta in its release notes. v2026.2 is BIOS-only; do not assume the UEFI or plugin controls shown in the current publisher screenshot belong to this older package. The screenshot is an illustration of the publisher’s console interface, not a test performed by SoftGalaxy.
What it offers
- Generate BIOS-bootable El Torito, No-Emulation ISO images.
- Include ISO-root files recursively with Joliet support.
- Enter an OS project path interactively when launched without arguments.
- Integrate the executable into Visual Studio External Tools using a project-directory argument.
- Validate 512-byte BIOS boot sectors with a 0x55AA signature or 2048-byte El Torito boot images.
Good to know
- The selected stable v2026.2 supports BIOS-only ISO generation, not UEFI. The newer advertised v2027.1 is labelled beta by its publisher.
- Requires a prepared bootloader and populated ISO-root directory; it does not supply an operating system project.
- The v2026.2 README lists a .NET runtime despite describing the tool as dependency-free. Exact packaged-runtime needs, CPU architecture and minimum Windows build remain unconfirmed.
Product images
Sources
References used for this listing. Retrieval dates do not indicate hands-on testing.
- BuildIso for Windows — Softonic discovery ↗Retrieved
- BuildIso — official product page ↗Retrieved
- BuildIso v2026.2 — stable release notes ↗Retrieved
- BuildIso v2026.2 README — project layout and requirements ↗Retrieved
- BuildIso v2027.1 — newer beta release ↗Retrieved
- BuildIso current README — publisher screenshot and attribution ↗Retrieved
- BuildIso MIT License ↗Retrieved
More in development
View category ↗
010 Editor 17.0
Inspect and edit binary files on Mac with 010 Editor, a paid text and hex editor with Binary Templates, file comparison and a 30-day trial.
010 Editor 17.0
Inspect and edit binary files with 010 Editor for Windows, a text and hex editor with Binary Templates, file comparison and scripting. Includes a 30-day trial.
10x Editor
Edit and navigate C++ projects on Windows with a built-in parser, workspace search and Visual Studio project support. A paid license is required after the 30-day trial.