Most users of modern computer systems, one way or another, are faced with running programs, which for the most part come down to executing an executable file. Roughly speaking, in all programs, an EXE format object is used to run the main application. But it's not always the case.
In legacy OSs like DOS or non-Windows, such files may have a completely different extension, although the principle of launch remains completely unchanged.
Execute executable file: what does it mean?
To fully understand the essence of what is happening, you should first understand what any application launch process is. The same executable file of “Navitel” or any other program is a kind of applet in which the startup code is recognized, recognized by the operating system or additional applications designed for this. But here it is worthwhile to understand that programs consisting solely of one executable file are irrelevant today. As a rule, a huge number of related components are included in the package in the form of the same dynamic libraries with a DLL extension. Just without them it is not always possible to execute an executable file.
The bottom line is that when you start the main module of the software package, which consists in starting the EXE file, some applications require "loading" additional modules, which are just the configuration files (config) or the same dynamic libraries containing data about the program.
By the way, sometimes dynamic libraries themselves are capable of playing the role of programs. So, for example, the start of any VST-tool in a modern studio (DAW) occurs precisely on this principle. The program as such in the form of the Standalone version may not be available, but the plugin in the form of its analogue with the .dll extension is recognized by any program.
Executable programs: types
But that is not all. The extension of executable files today is not so easy to determine, not to mention the files of the EXE or COM format. Separately, it is worth noting not only the standards mentioned above , but also archival data.
In fact, SFX (Self-Extracting) archives are self-extracting data based on the operation of the decompression algorithm. Executing an executable file of this type is easy. It is enough to make a double click, and the operation when choosing the extraction location will be performed automatically. On mobile devices, formats like JAR, JAD APK, etc., which belong to the category of installers, are used.
Can I open executable files?
Many users are interested in editing executable files. Immediately worth all to grieve. The fact is that the same "executables" are compiled programs, the source code of which is usually impossible to view. You can, of course, use utilities like Disassembler, but even if you write the application initially in C ++, this result may not give.
How to make the simplest editing?
As already clear, an EXE file in its readable form cannot be opened, since the program itself can be written in different programming languages. The same goes for dynamic libraries. But configuration files can be opened even in the standard Notepad. And if you run it on behalf of the administrator, you can even set access restrictions to some sites on the Internet, and then save the configuration, which in normal mode is not possible. The same “configs” are edited elementarily.
Is it possible to make any file executable?
In principle, any file located on the hard disk is executable. More precisely, to execute an executable file means to launch the application responsible for opening it. Even at startup, you can make a file launch at system startup completely elementary.
It is enough to add the process to the list and specify a companion object that will load immediately (for example, opening an Office document). Making the file executable is far from the most important thing.
Summary
Thus, completing the topic, it is worth noting that the files or objects responsible for starting an application can be opened in the standard version only by double-clicking. But editing them is not possible. However, if the programs have the status of freely distributed under the GNU license, it is very easy to make changes to the program code of applications.
But this is a special case, which, in general, is not connected with the main topic. Another thing is the launch of an executable file, which the user has no idea about. In this case, the emphasis should be on viruses that can come in the form of the same email attachments. If you see that the attached file does not have an icon, do not try to open it. Although equally this applies to viruses that masquerade as such messages. In this case, the malicious program will be able to execute the executable file or the code embedded in it quite easily, and then a huge bunch of problems will arise.
And the call (launch) of the executable file in this case may already not depend on the user himself, since the virus has infiltrated the system. It remains only to rely on universal programs in the form of portable versions or on utilities of Rescue Disk modifications with loading and checking the system even before the start of Windows.
The executable as such, which is the most interesting, is not in the bootloader. But there is a BIN configurator, which is responsible for starting the system. In addition, in older versions of Windows, you can also find folders like i386, which contain drivers and some other related utilities. But in new versions of the system there are no such objects.