Operating systems allow different file formats to be stored in their various extensions. These files contain very useful codes, such is the case of files with an .exe extension. For this reason, this article explains what it is and how to open a file with an .exe extension? What is it for?
Index( )
- What is an .Exe file used for?
- Relevant aspects of .EXE files
- What advantages do files with an .Exe extension give over others?
- What is a file with an .EXE extension?
- How can I identify the .EXE files?
- What are files with an .EXE extension for?
- How to open an .Exe file on a computer
- On your windows
- H3 On your Mac
- How to differentiate .Exe files from others easily
What is an .Exe file used for?
.EXE is the extension of a file type that corresponds to the abbreviation of the English word “executable”. Therefore, it is an executable file which has relative memory addresses. The Windows system uses .EXE files natively as well as the open source ReactOS system.
It is important to keep track of the .exe files that are housed in the system, since sometimes after executing unsafe programs we observe that the performance of the computer decreases due to an infection by viruses encoded in files with an .exe extension.
Relevant aspects of .EXE files
The .EXE file format was created in 1983, was added to the MS-DOS version, and has since been identified with ASCII characters and hexadecimal values. .EXE files have been incorporated into all versions of Windows as linear, mixed, and portable executables.
Every .EXE file has a header with segments determined by source code. You can even change the icon of an .EXE file easily . For its part, the operating system is responsible for using the header data to initialize any program correctly . It is important to note that the header structure does not define the final image of the program in memory.
What advantages do files with an .Exe extension give over others?
Files with .Exe extensions can offer us different advantages compared to other files. But we can mention that one of its most relevant advantages lies in the aspect that it is not necessary to use a specific program to open it . As it would happen with other files that if you do not have the program installed on your computer, it will be impossible to open that file.
Another advantage of .Exe files is that they are self – extracting so that they will always extract their content to a specific folder. Therefore you will never have any problem opening these files. And it will only be enough to select the file, right click and in the menu select the option ‘Open’.
What is a file with an .EXE extension?
An .EXE file is an executable element that provides information about a certain program. It contains a series of precise instructions that can be executed independently and are controlled by Windows.
.EXE files are created using programming languages to form source code that can be interpreted by a computer. This coding process generates a result that is presented by means of ASCII code and is understandable by the equipment. This process also includes viruses, malware, Trojans, and worms that run to cause damage to the system.
How can I identify the .EXE files?
Sometimes, .EXE files cannot be recognized as the system hides their extension. In order to successfully identify this format, you will need to access the file explorer and click on the “View” tab.
Next, additional options will appear at the top of the window. Click “Show / Hide” and check ” Filename Extensions .” In this way, you will be able to see the extension of all the files that you store on your disk.
What are files with an .EXE extension for?
The .EXE files are used to install programs , execute one or more commands required by the operating system, perform a set of specific tasks and operations relevant to the computer.
It is important to note that there are files that require execution by the user while others have automatic playback or are “self-executable”. Once an .EXE file is executed, a procedure with specific functions is carried out from a code that tells the system the operations to do.
How to open an .Exe file on a computer
In Windows, .EXE files are essential elements to get any program running. These files have a set of instructions that are interpreted before starting one or more programs.
Therefore, .EXE files unquestionably require an operating system to run. Next, we will show you what this format consists of, how to run it and what is its usefulness.
On your windows
To open an .EXE file it is essential to have the Windows system in any of its versions. Once you locate the file in question, you must double-click on it or press right-click to display a context menu . Then select “Open” and immediately start the process of executing the file.
It is very important to view the contents of the .EXE file before executing it, because if you open malicious software on your computer, it will be exposed to an infection. In such a state of vulnerability, the security of the information you store on your computer is reduced.
H3 On your Mac
As we have seen so far, files with an .EXE extension can be opened without any problem on computers running the Windows operating system. But this is not possible to do on Mac natively and therefore it will be necessary to resort to a program . Therefore we will explain how you can open an .EXE file from Mac.
The first thing you should do is download to your personal computer an application that allows you to open this file. In the market there are some very good and free ones, but in our case we will recommend WineBottler. Which you can download from its official website the compatible version for your system.
The next step will be to mount the DMG image, when you finish this process, you must immediately run the installer. The next step is to copy the two App in the applications folder, to finish you just have to run WineBottler . Now you are ready to open your file with an .EXE extension.
How to differentiate .Exe files from others easily
There are files with extensions that could be the same, this means that they open when you execute it or they are executable . As with .BAT files, there is one very notable difference, and that is that .EXE files do not contain human-readable text commands and instead contain binary executable data.
