Free online IMG to BIN converter

A burning program, emulator, or device may require a .bin disk image even when the source uses .img. For a raw image, the safe conversion is usually a byte-for-byte copy; optical-disc images may also require a matching .cue file.

What the IMG format is

In the disk-image context, .img is a generic extension for sector-level data from floppy disks, hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, or optical discs. The image can contain boot sectors, partition tables, filesystems, unused sectors, or optical-disc sectors.

The extension does not define one internal format. A raw IMG may be a direct copy of a device, while a CloneCD image commonly consists of .img, .ccd, and .sub files. Imaging utilities, backup tools, operating-system utilities, archivists, and emulator users use IMG files to preserve or reproduce media.

What the BIN format is

.bin is also a generic extension. In disk-imaging workflows it commonly identifies raw sector data, especially optical-disc data, console-media dumps, and other images that software reads directly instead of extracting as ordinary files.

Optical BIN images commonly use a .cue sheet. The CUE records track order, track types, sector modes, indexes, pregaps, and audio tracks. A BIN may contain the main sectors but still be unusable for correct mounting, emulation, or burning without its CUE file.

BIN is appropriate only when the destination application expects a raw BIN or a BIN/CUE set. Renaming an extension does not convert a proprietary container, create track metadata, change sector geometry, or recover information stored in companion files.

How to convert an IMG file

Identify the source first. Keep every file delivered with the image and check the documentation for the program that created it. On Linux or macOS, run:

file image.img

A result identifying a disk image, filesystem, or partition structure supports direct copying, but a generic result such as “data” does not prove that the file is a compatible raw image. Files accompanied by .ccd, .sub, or proprietary metadata require software that understands that image format.

For a compatible raw IMG: copy the file without altering its bytes, then give the copy the required extension. On Linux:

cp -- image.img image.bin

For a large file, this also works:

dd if=image.img of=image.bin bs=4M status=progress

On macOS, use:

cp image.img image.bin

On Windows PowerShell, use:

Copy-Item -LiteralPath .\image.img -Destination .\image.bin

Changing the extension in a file manager is equivalent, but creating a new copy preserves the original. Do not use an input or output path for a physical disk unless you have verified the device; an incorrect dd or copy target can overwrite data.

You can convert a compatible single-file IMG on 101convert.com for free without installing software. This is suitable for ordinary raw images when the destination accepts the same sector layout under the BIN extension. It cannot infer missing optical-track metadata or combine proprietary companion files.

For an optical IMG with track metadata: keep the original .img and all companion files together. If the destination accepts the existing image layout, supply the original .cue when one is available. If the source uses CloneCD metadata such as .ccd and .sub, use the original imaging application or a desktop tool that explicitly recognizes that format and exports BIN/CUE.

On Windows, applications such as AnyBurn or UltraISO can export a recognized image through their image-conversion commands. Select the source, choose BIN/CUE when available, and retain every generated output file. Menu names and supported IMG variants differ by version, so do not proceed unless the application identifies the input correctly and shows the required destination format.

Do not invent a CUE sheet by guessing values such as MODE1/2352, MODE2/2352, or audio tracks. An incorrect track mode or boundary can make the image unreadable or produce a different disc. A raw floppy, hard-drive, or USB IMG also should not be given a guessed optical CUE file.

Quality and compatibility limits

A direct copy has the same size and sector contents as the source; it does not compress, repair, decode, or re-encode the image. Verify the copy with SHA-256 when the source must remain exact:

sha256sum image.img image.bin

On Windows, run certutil -hashfile image.img SHA256 and repeat it for image.bin. Matching hashes confirm identical bytes, but they do not confirm that the target program supports the image's geometry, sector size, track layout, or required companion files. A genuine format conversion may produce a different hash.

A BIN intended by one application may not be accepted by another application using the same extension. Test the output in the intended emulator, mounting tool, burning program, or device, and keep the original IMG and companion files until the test succeeds.