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Executable files thus normally contain significant additional machine code beyond that directly generated from the specific source code. In some cases, it is desirable to omit this, for example for embedded systems development, or simply to understand how compilation, linking, and loading work.
For Microsoft Windows, OS/2, and DOS, .exe is the filename extension that denotes a file as being executable – a computer program – containing an entry point. [ 1 ] In addition to being executable (adjective) such a file is often called an executable (noun) which is sometimes abbreviated as EXE.
Executable code, an executable file, or an executable program, sometimes simply referred to as an executable or binary, is a list of instructions and data to cause a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instructions", [1] as opposed to a data file that must be interpreted by a program to be meaningful.
It is the standard format for executables on Windows NT-based systems, including files such as .exe, .dll, .sys (for system drivers), and .mui. At its core, the PE format is a structured data container that gives the Windows operating system loader everything it needs to properly manage the executable code it contains.
Executable compression can be used to prevent direct disassembly, mask string literals and modify signatures. Although this does not eliminate the chance of reverse engineering, it can make the process more costly. A compressed executable requires less storage space in the file system, thus less time to transfer data from the file system into ...
In the case of operating systems that support virtual memory, the loader may not actually copy the contents of executable files into memory, but rather may simply declare to the virtual memory subsystem that there is a mapping between a region of memory allocated to contain the running program's code and the contents of the associated ...
An installation program or installer is a computer program that installs files, such as applications, drivers, or other software, onto a computer. Some installers are specifically made to install the files they contain; other installers are general-purpose and work by reading the contents of the software package to be installed.
The file format of a DLL is the same as for an executable (a.k.a. EXE), but different versions of Windows use different formats. 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions use Portable Executable (PE), and 16-bit Windows versions use New Executable (NE).