Talk:Executable

Signed Executables

The article does not mention cryptographic signing of executables

Remark about email

I've removed this remark: Many e-mail accounts now ban the sending or receiving of files with the .exe extension since they are one of the commonest ways of spreading computer viruses. E-mail attachments containing Zip files with the .exe extension should be regarded with suspicion unless they were expected from a known sender. This is not relevant to executables, which are not limited to MS Windows .exe files.

Execution of a executable

With an executable on the harddisk, how is this executable executed once I want it to be executed? Which part of an operating is responsible for executing executables and how does it do it? And if a executable needs another executable to execute it, what initially executes this executor? --Abdull 20:21, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

• Well it's a bit late, but I think what you're getting at is the concept of [Bootstrapping (computing)]. Running an executable is the act of a user (or some other program) directing the OS to load an executable from the harddrive into memory, and then follow the instructions that the program dictates. What started the OS? On the typical x86 computer, the BIOS did. What started the BIOS? Hardware. A battery is inserted, a circuit is closed, or some other physical means started a domino effect that boots everything. 64.238.49.65 (talk) 21:12, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

What Are Exe's Booted in

Hi I've had a problem, Accidently changed what my EXE boots in, and i wanted to know what does an EXE boot in on windows so i can change it back, i open'd with by accident and made it open with Mozilla, and i want it to go back to opening things like Internet Explorer, MSN, etc. anything .exe opens in mozilla now and its really just annoying.. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.182.73.55 (talk) 12:03, 24 December 2006 (UTC).

Needs more references

Wikipedia is usually not really a great resource, but the references are. A dictionary isn't really a great resource too. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.251.98.59 (talk) 09:26, 21 September 2011 (UTC)

Why redirect

Why does Object program redirect to Executable instead of Object code? There is also an article Object file which should probably be merged.OK, I'm going to change the redirect for Object Program to point to Object file, but the suggestion for the redirect standa. Peter Flass (talk) 03:06, 21 July 2025 (UTC)

Weak intro

WRT "In computer science, executable code, an executable file, or an executable program, sometimes simply referred to as an executable or binary, causes a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instructions", as opposed to a data file that must be interpreted (parsed) by an interpreter to be functional. The exact interpretation depends upon the use. "Instructions" is traditionally taken to mean machine code instructions for a physical CPU. In some contexts, a file containing scripting instructions (such as bytecode) may also be considered executable.[citation needed]" Is very far from good. We don't quote the dictionary. Data file? Interpreting code is executing it so that code is executable. It conflates executable code with machine code. Instructions is not traditionally taken to mean machine code. Instruction is instruction. If the context is machine code then yes it refers to machine code instructions. bytecode _may_ be considered executable? If you can execute it, then it's executable. Consider linux file system. You mark both machine code and script files as executable (chmod +x f). BC they are executables. Stevebroshar (talk) 04:10, 23 July 2025 (UTC)

I re-wrote the intro. Stevebroshar (talk) 13:09, 23 July 2025 (UTC)