Disc Image — Optical disc image of the ISO 9660 filesystem.
Quick facts
What is .iso
A .iso file is a Disc Image — Optical disc image of the ISO 9660 filesystem.
In the mime-db registry it maps to application/octet-stream, and it is marked as compressible. When serving .iso over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.
Related entities: it maps to application/octet-stream — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.
How to open .iso files
Developer info
When served over HTTP, responses should set the following header:
Content-Type: application/octet-stream
Common software that reads/writes .iso:
Relation chain
Related extensions
Related MIME types
Common uses
How to edit .iso files
How to create .iso files
Frequently asked questions
Common options include 7-Zip, PowerISO, Rufus. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.
Create a new file in any text editor or the app that owns the format and save it with the .iso extension.
application/octet-stream is the media type identifier used for .iso files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).
Sources & standards
Updated 2026-08-18
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