.exe

For other uses, see Exe.

For Windows, OS/2, and DOS, .exe is the filename extension for a file that is runnable as a native executable computer program.^[1] Such a file is sometimes referred to an EXE – as one historical way to identify a file extension is without the dot prefix and capitalized.

Windows Executable File
Filename extension	.exe
Internet media type	application/vnd.microsoft.portable-executable
Magic number	Depends on the file format
Developed by	Microsoft
Type of format	Executable file
Container for	MZ, NE, LX, LE, PE, PE32+, W3, W4, DL, MP, P2, P3
Open format?	No

File formats

Although the EXE file format has a common lineage across related operating system (OS) versions, the format was enhanced over time. Some amount of backward compatibility was supported in later versions but earlier versions cannot run an EXE formatted for a newer version. Formats include:

DOS

The DOS format, DOS MZ executable, is 16-bit.

New Executable

The New Executable (NE) format was introduced with the multitasking MS-DOS 4.0 and also used by 16-bit OS/2 and Windows. This format is 16-bit.

Linear Executable

The Linear Executable (LE) format is mixed 16/32-bit and was introduced with OS/2 2.0. VxD drivers on Windows 3.x and Windows 9x also use this format. A 32-bit only version identified as LX was also introduced with OS/2 2.0 and runs on OS/2 2.0 and higher.^[2]

Portable Executable

Introduced with Windows NT, the Portable Executable (PE) format is a fat binary consisting of both a DOS and a Windows part. The DOS stub is runnable on a DOS system but is ignored by Windows. The Microsoft C++ linker, by default, adds a small DOS program that prints the message: "This program cannot be run in DOS mode" and exits^[3][4][5] Windows ignores the DOS stub and executes the 32-bit Windows-specific portion.^[3] With some linkers, it is possible to specify a custom DOS stub.^[3][4][6] Indeed, there are a few dual programs, such as regedit in Windows 95^[7] and old versions of WinZIP self extractors. A 64-bit version, PE32+, was introduced with 64-bit versions of Windows. In most cases, code can be written to simply work as either a 32 or 64-bit PE file.^[8] This format also includes a DOS stub.^[6]

Other

There are other EXE formats, including but not limited to W3 (a collection of LE files, only used in WIN386.EXE), W4 (a compressed collection of LE files, only used in VMM32.VXD), DL, MP, P2, P3 (last three used by Phar Lap extenders).^[9]

See also

• Comparison of executable file formats
• Executable compression – Means of compressing an executable file
• IExpress – Software included within Microsoft Windows
• List of file formats § Object code, executable files, shared and dynamically linked libraries
• CMD file (CP/M)
• Dynamic-link library – Sharable executable library in Windows and OS/2