.exe

<h2 id="file-formats">File formats</h2>
<p>The <a href="/facts/File_format/qrXbwJaH">file format</a> of an EXE file varies by operating system version.
</p><p>An operating system cannot use an EXE file unless it is formatted for it. Note that some formats support multiple operating systems.
</p>
<h3>DOS</h3>
16-bit <a href="/facts/DOS_MZ_executable/W8vGH66t">DOS MZ executable</a> (MZ)
The original DOS executable file format. These formats can be identified by the letters "MZ" at the beginning of the file in ASCII. Later formats may contain an MZ <a href="/facts/DOS_stub/Nx8WJPff">DOS stub</a> header.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
16-bit <a href="/facts/New_Executable/Nx8WJPff">New Executable</a> (NE)
Introduced with the multitasking <a href="/facts/MS-DOS_4.0_(multitasking)/YnAa8ycC">MS-DOS 4.0</a> and also used by 16-bit <a href="/facts/OS%2f2/uVBl6ItP">OS/2</a> and Windows, NE can be identified by the "NE" in ASCII.
<h3>OS/2</h3>

32-bit Linear Executable (LX)
Introduced with OS/2 2.0, these can be identified by the "LX" in ASCII. These can only be run by OS/2 2.0 and higher.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a>
Mixed 16/32-bit Linear Executable (LE)
Introduced with OS/2 2.0, these can be identified by the "LE" in ASCII. <a href="/facts/VxD/Q69TjtnV">VxD</a> drivers on <a href="/facts/Windows_3.1x/zYnWyaC6">Windows 3.x</a> and <a href="/facts/Windows_9x/f1zwlghw">Windows 9x</a> also use LE format.
<h3>Windows</h3>

32-bit <a href="/facts/Portable_Executable/pJy7AkuY">Portable Executable</a> (PE)
Introduced with <a href="/facts/Windows_NT/EtccWvxQ">Windows NT</a>, they are <a href="/facts/Fat_binary/53cdyr4C">fat binaries</a> consisting of a DOS-specific and a Windows-specific part. The DOS-specific part (dubbed <a href="/facts/DOS_stub/Nx8WJPff">DOS stub</a>) is a legitimate 16-bit DOS program. Microsoft C++ linker, by default, uses a minimal DOS stub that prints the following message: "This program cannot be run in DOS mode."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> Windows ignores the DOS stub and executes the Windows-specific portion that starts with the "PE\0\0" ASCII sequence (letters "PE" and two null bytes).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> With some linkers, it is possible to specify a custom DOS stub.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> Indeed, there are a few dual programs, such as <a href="/facts/Windows_Registry/cH9RlHTp">regedit</a> in <a href="/facts/Windows_95/1E1L93qC">Windows 95</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> and old versions of <a href="/facts/WinZip/3K6K0X2D">WinZIP</a> self extractors.
64-bit Portable Executable (PE32+)
Introduced by 64-bit versions of Windows, this is a PE file with wider fields. In most cases, code can be written to simply work as either a 32 or 64-bit PE file.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> This file also includes a DOS stub.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a>
<h3>Other</h3>
<p>
There are other EXE formats, including but not limited to <i>W3</i> (a collection of LE files, only used in WIN386.EXE), <i>W4</i> (a compressed collection of LE files, only used in VMM32.VXD), <i>DL</i>, <i>MP</i>, <i>P2</i>, <i>P3</i> (last three used by <a href="/facts/Phar_Lap_(company)/onpF69zJ">Phar Lap</a> extenders).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a>
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Comparison_of_executable_file_formats/uobPt1yC">Comparison of executable file formats</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Executable_compression/rb9HnGG5">Executable compression</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/IExpress/Pp4Wlkq6">IExpress</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/List_of_file_formats/y6rI6UFS">List of file formats § Object code, executable files, shared and dynamically linked libraries</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/CMD_file_(CP%2fM)/U0zm3wTS">CMD file (CP/M)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Windows_Installer/PGsKkYBr">Windows Installer</a> files (msi)</li></ul>

<h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2>
<ul><li>Paul, Matthias R. (2002-10-07) [2000]. <a href="https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.msdos.programmer/d7blJjY0H5M/Qu3VeTOIGVcJ">"Re: Run a COM file"</a>. <a href="/facts/Usenet_newsgroup/282rotmp">Newsgroup</a>: <a href="news:alt.msdos.programmer">alt.msdos.programmer</a>. <a href="https://archive.today/20170903230312/https://groups.google.com/forum/%23!msg/alt.msdos.programmer/d7blJjY0H5M/Qu3VeTOIGVcJ">Archived</a> from the original on 2017-09-03. Retrieved 2017-09-03. <a href="https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.lang.asm/PNOd9zfYow0/vXbab16j4XwJ">Second reply</a></li></ul>
<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://dependencywalker.com/">Dependency Walker</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/doc/exe/">MZ EXE header format</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pe-explorer.com/">PE Explorer</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>".EXE File Extension". FileInfo - The File Extensions Database. Sharpened Productions. Retrieved 2019-08-16. <a href="https://fileinfo.com/extension/exe" target="_blank">https://fileinfo.com/extension/exe</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"PE Format". Windows App Development. Microsoft. 2019-08-25. <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format" target="_blank">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"OS/2 Operating System". operating system documentation project. 2004-04-03. Retrieved 2014-02-13. <a href="http://www.operating-system.org/betriebssystem/_english/bs-os2.htm" target="_blank">http://www.operating-system.org/betriebssystem/_english/bs-os2.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"PE Format". Windows App Development. Microsoft. 2019-08-25. <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format" target="_blank">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"/STUB (MS-DOS Stub File Name)". C/C++ Building Reference (Visual Studio 2022 ed.). Microsoft. Retrieved 2014-01-10. <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/reference/stub-ms-dos-stub-file-name" target="_blank">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/reference/stub-ms-dos-stub-file-name</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>Sedory, Daniel B. (2004-10-12). "DOS Stub Program". The Starman's Realm. Self-published. Retrieved 2014-01-10. <a href="http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/debug/DOSstub.htm" target="_blank">http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/debug/DOSstub.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:7"><p>"PE Format". Windows App Development. Microsoft. 2019-08-25. <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format" target="_blank">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:8"><p>"PE Format". Windows App Development. Microsoft. 2019-08-25. <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format" target="_blank">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:9"><p>"/STUB (MS-DOS Stub File Name)". C/C++ Building Reference (Visual Studio 2022 ed.). Microsoft. Retrieved 2014-01-10. <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/reference/stub-ms-dos-stub-file-name" target="_blank">https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/reference/stub-ms-dos-stub-file-name</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:10"><p>Ellermann, Frank (2014-01-22). "dostub.exe". Purl.net. Retrieved 2014-01-24. <a href="http://purl.net/xyzzy/dos/dostub.htm" target="_blank">http://purl.net/xyzzy/dos/dostub.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:11"><p>"Using Registry Editor in Real Mode". Support. Microsoft. 2006-11-15. Archived from the original on 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2014-01-10. Windows 95 includes a Registry Editor program (Regedit.exe) that runs in both the real-mode MS-DOS environment and in the protected-mode Windows environment. When you need to modify the registry without starting Windows 95, use Registry Editor in real mode. Note that the switches listed in this article only work in real-mode. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140115050101/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/131352" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20140115050101/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/131352</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:12"><p>Pietrek, Matt (February 2002). "An In-Depth Look into the Win32 Portable Executable File Format". MSDN Magazine. Microsoft. <a href="/wiki/Matt_Pietrek" target="_blank">/wiki/Matt_Pietrek</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:13"><p>Ellermann, Frank (2014-01-22). "dostub.exe". Purl.net. Retrieved 2014-01-24. <a href="http://purl.net/xyzzy/dos/dostub.htm" target="_blank">http://purl.net/xyzzy/dos/dostub.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:14"><p>Brown, Ralf (2000-07-16). "Int 21/AH=4Bh". Ralf Brown's Interrupt List. Archived from the original on 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2018-10-30. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150519112524/http://www.ctyme.com/intr/rb-2939.htm#table1593" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20150519112524/http://www.ctyme.com/intr/rb-2939.htm#table1593</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

.exe open-in-new

.exe