Build Driver Compiler on Windows

July 17, 2026 · View on GitHub

This guide explains how to build the Driver Compiler (also known as Compiler in Driver or CiD) on Windows. The Driver Compiler is built as an extra module of a static OpenVINO package.

Before you start:

Review Requirements.

Follow Repository Setup.

Check FAQ for common clone issues and common build issues.

See TBB selection for threading library options.

Environment Setup

Use these environment variables for both quick and detailed builds in your x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2022 (Administrator):

Commands

set OPENVINO_HOME=C:\path\to\cloned\openvino
set NPU_PLUGIN_HOME=C:\path\to\cloned\applications.ai.vpu-accelerators.vpux-plugin
@REM Or Debug/RelWithDebInfo
set CONFIG=Release
@REM Optional, only if using custom TBB, but required for enabling sideloading
set TBBROOT=C:\tbb\path\you\want\to\use

Recommended CMake Options

Use these options for both quick and detailed builds:

Commands

set CommonBuildOptions=-D ENABLE_LTO=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_FASTER_BUILD=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_CPPLINT=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_TESTS=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_FUNCTIONAL_TESTS=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_SAMPLES=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_JS=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_PYTHON=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_PYTHON_PACKAGING=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_WHEEL=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_OV_ONNX_FRONTEND=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_OV_PYTORCH_FRONTEND=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_OV_PADDLE_FRONTEND=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_OV_TF_FRONTEND=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_OV_TF_LITE_FRONTEND=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_OV_JAX_FRONTEND=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_OV_IR_FRONTEND=ON ^
                       -D THREADING=TBB ^
                       -D ENABLE_TBBBIND_2_5=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_SYSTEM_TBB=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_TBB_RELEASE_ONLY=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_HETERO=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_MULTI=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_AUTO=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_AUTO_BATCH=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_TEMPLATE=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_PROXY=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_INTEL_CPU=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_INTEL_GPU=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_NPU_PLUGIN_ENGINE=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_ZEROAPI_BACKEND=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_DRIVER_COMPILER_ADAPTER=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_INTEL_NPU_INTERNAL=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_INTEL_NPU_PROTOPIPE=OFF ^
                       -D BUILD_COMPILER_FOR_DRIVER=ON ^
                       -D ENABLE_PRIVATE_TESTS=OFF ^
                       -D ENABLE_NPU_LSP_SERVER=OFF ^
                       -D CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=%OPENVINO_HOME%\cmake\toolchains\onecoreuap.toolchain.cmake

For more information about the build options, refer to this section.

Quick Build Commands (For Immediate Use)

This section provides the complete build commands for users who need to build the Driver Compiler without diving into the detailed configuration steps.

Commands

md %OPENVINO_HOME%\build_%CONFIG%
cd %OPENVINO_HOME%\build_%CONFIG%

cmake ^
    -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%CONFIG% ^
    -D BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF ^
    -D OPENVINO_EXTRA_MODULES=%NPU_PLUGIN_HOME% ^
    %CommonBuildOptions% ^
    ..

cmake --build . --config %CONFIG% --target openvino_intel_npu_compiler openvino_intel_npu_compiler_loader compilerTest profilingTest vpuxCompilerL0Test loaderTest --parallel %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%

@REM Optional, compress and pack all CiD targets
cpack -V -D CPACK_COMPONENTS_ALL=CiD -D CPACK_CMAKE_GENERATOR=Ninja -D CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME=%CONFIG% -G "ZIP"

The Driver Compiler package is built and can be found in %OPENVINO_HOME%\bin\intel64\%CONFIG% directory. You can ignore the remaining sections of this document.

Detailed Step-by-step Guide (For a Deeper Understanding on the Build Process)

Create Build Directory

Commands

md %OPENVINO_HOME%\build_%CONFIG%

Configure CMake

If you do not wish to use Ninja for compilation, please remove the line -G Ninja.

Commands

cd %OPENVINO_HOME%\build_%CONFIG%

cmake ^
    -G Ninja ^
    -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%CONFIG% ^
    -D BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF ^
    -D OPENVINO_EXTRA_MODULES=%NPU_PLUGIN_HOME% ^
    %CommonBuildOptions% ^
    ..

Build Targets

Commands

ninja openvino_intel_npu_compiler openvino_intel_npu_compiler_loader compilerTest profilingTest vpuxCompilerL0Test loaderTest -j %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%
@REM Or, if not using Ninja:
@REM cmake --build . --target openvino_intel_npu_compiler openvino_intel_npu_compiler_loader compilerTest profilingTest vpuxCompilerL0Test loaderTest --parallel %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%

Packaging (Optional)

All Driver Compiler-related targets will be generated in %OPENVINO_HOME%\bin\intel64\%CONFIG% folder.

Compress and pack all CiD components:

Compress and pack

@REM Compress and pack all CiD components
cd %OPENVINO_HOME%\build_%CONFIG%
cpack -V -D CPACK_COMPONENTS_ALL=CiD -D CPACK_CMAKE_GENERATOR=Ninja -D CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME=%CONFIG% -G "ZIP"

Install all CiD components to a specific location:

Install

@REM Install all CiD components
cd %OPENVINO_HOME%\build_%CONFIG%
cmake --install .\ --prefix .\ --component CiD --verbose