EXE
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| + | |[[File Formats]] | ||
| + | | > | ||
| + | |[[Electronic File Formats]] | ||
| + | | > | ||
| + | |[[Executables]] | ||
| + | | > | ||
| + | |'''EXE''' | ||
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| + | |} | ||
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
| − | The EXE format has its root in MS-DOS and is still widely used today. The first versions were pure 16 bit | + | The EXE [[Executables|executable]] format has its root in [[MS-DOS]] and is still widely used today. The first versions were pure 16 bit DOS executables, identified by either "MZ" or "ZM" as the first two bytes. Later on, lots of additional formats were added, like [[Windows]]' NE (New Executable) extension, [[OS/2]]'s LE and LX (Linear Executable), and later Win32's [[PE executable]] (a variant of [[COFF]]), as well as some DOS extenders adding overlays, resources and other information into it. |
==Resources== | ==Resources== | ||
Revision as of 17:44, 4 November 2012
| File Formats | > | Electronic File Formats | > | Executables | > | EXE |
Overview
The EXE executable format has its root in MS-DOS and is still widely used today. The first versions were pure 16 bit DOS executables, identified by either "MZ" or "ZM" as the first two bytes. Later on, lots of additional formats were added, like Windows' NE (New Executable) extension, OS/2's LE and LX (Linear Executable), and later Win32's PE executable (a variant of COFF), as well as some DOS extenders adding overlays, resources and other information into it.
Resources
- Ralf Brown's Interrupt List, INT 21h, Function 4Bh, describes lots of the "older" style EXE formats
- Microsoft has a document on the PE specification
- article on the PE format as used by Windows NT 3 by Johannes Plachy
