whiteportal27 wrote on 2021-06-22, 19:22:

Anybody know?

Check Moby Games?

64-bit versions of Windows 7/8/10 will generally produce an error message when you try to run a DOS program.

When you try to run a 16-bit Windows program in DOS, it will say "This program requires Microsoft Windows". If it's a 32-bit Windows program, it will say "This program cannot be run in DOS mode".

If you're on Linux, running the "file" command on an .exe will tell you what kind of executable it is.
Also, DOS games often (not always) include the DOS extender files such as DOS4GW.EXE, that's a tell-tale sign...

Uh, I believe *.com files are almost always nothing but DOS executables. As for *.exe files, try and see if they will run in DOSBox.

Just to better understand your problem, what operating system are you using and what issue are you are running into that brought up this question?

I think the Windows equivalent of Linux file is dumpbin. It's included with Visual Studio.

Hi! Good evening everyone! 😀

EXE files for DOS often have "MZ" written at the beginning of the file (header).
16-Bit Windows programs also have "MZ", followed by a "This program requires MS Windows" line written at the top.
32-Bit Windows programs also do this, but display "This program cannot be run in DOS mode".
That's a stub that prevents the program from crashing the system on plain DOS. The 16-Bit ones sometimes start Windows themselves.
Some programs like Setup.exe (Windows 3.x) contain a full-featured DOS version of the same program instead.
OS/2 programs are similarily designed, I think.
Early OS/2 programs also used the "Family API", which resulted in real OS/2 programs that could run in plain DOS, too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS_MZ_executable
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Executable
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.exe#OS/2

In order to peek inside a file, any hex editor can be used.
WinHex, XVI32 some stuff from the DOS days (PC-Tools, Norton Tools etc)..

Jo22 wrote on 2021-07-25, 19:07:

Some programs like Setup.exe (Windows 3.x) contain a full-featured DOS version of the same program instead.

I think Win9x SETUP is the same, no?

NT/2000/XP have a separate DOS version of the setup program (I386\WINNT.EXE) - I never thought about that until now. This appears to have been discontinued with Vista.

Jo22 wrote on 2021-07-25, 19:07:

In order to peek inside a file, any hex editor can be used.

The built-in viewer of Norton / Total Commander has always been my preference for that (when I don't need to actually edit anything).

dr_st wrote on 2021-07-25, 19:23:

Jo22 wrote on 2021-07-25, 19:07:

Some programs like Setup.exe (Windows 3.x) contain a full-featured DOS version of the same program instead.

I think Win9x SETUP is the same, no?

Yes! 😁 It's a Win16 program, too?! I vaguely remember that it could be started from Windows 3.1.
Windows 9x setup, if booted from CD, starts as a DOS program, becomes more graphical (Win 3.x style, Mini.cab?) and then runs like an ordinary Windows 98 program.

dr_st wrote on 2021-07-25, 19:23:

Jo22 wrote on 2021-07-25, 19:07:

In order to peek inside a file, any hex editor can be used.

The built-in viewer of Norton / Total Commander has always been my preference for that (when I don't need to actually edit anything).

Ah, yes, I suppose that's true. I'm an NC 1.x user, though. 😉
I suppose that feature was added with NC 3 to 5.x..

Norton Utilities also had hex editors, I assume?
My father has some Peter Norton Computing programs from circa 1986-1988, I remember.
One is a disk editor, which allows manipulation of diskettes/fixed disks.
Oh boy, that's so long ago. Have to check! 😅