Program information file

A Program information file (PIF) is used by multitasking environments, mainly Microsoft Windows, to describe how to open a legacy DOS program. It contains things like the amount of available memory (conventional, high, extended, expanded), the number of rows and columns of ASCII output on screen, mouse capture, full screen mode, behaviour of the window after program termination, etc.

The original 369-byte version of the format comes from TopView by IBM. Essentially the same format is used by Windows 1 and 2. An extended version of the format is used by Windows 3+. A different extension is DESQview Program Information File.

Identification
PIF files for Windows 3+ have ASCII "", followed by byte, at offset 369.

There doesn't seem to be a simple way to identify the original 369-byte format.

Specifications

 * The Program Information File (PIF) File Format, from FileFormat.Info and Corion.net
 * The PIF file format in various Windows versions (archived)

Sample files

 * Random examples of DOS packages that include a PIF file: [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], []

Old format:
 * Microsoft Windows/286 v2.1 → ... → Disk 12 → PIF/*.PIF
 * TopView 1.x at WinWorld → AUTOPIF, etc.

Links

 * Program information file
 * Microsoft's information about PIF files (archived)