New Executable
Encyclopedia
The New Executable is a 16-bit
.exe
file format
, a successor to the DOS MZ executable format. It was used in a special version of MS-DOS
, Windows 1.0
, Windows 2.x
, and Windows 3.x
. While it was "new" at the time of invention, it is now rare and obsolete, though it is used in a small number of programs.
in 1985 and then was used in the multitasking European MS-DOS
4.0 in 1986, which falls between mainstream MS-DOS versions 3.2 and 3.3., and OS/2
in 1987.
The target operating system field in the file header makes 01=OS/2 02=Windows 03=European MS-DOS 4.0 suggesting that OS/2 support was planned when this file format was developed, knowing that the Joint Development Agreement of IBM and Microsoft for OS/2 started in August 1985, a few months before Windows 1.0 was released in November 1985.
The Portable Executable
format replaced NE format in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, while LX Linear Executables replaced NE for 32 bits programs in OS/2.
, NE executables can be run on 32-bit Windows
. Beginning with Windows Vista, icon resources inside New Executables are not extracted and shown even by the 32-bit shell. 64-bit versions of Windows completely lack native support for running NE executables, because 64-bit Windows can't run 16-bit programs on the processor without the help of an emulator.
Due to the rare and fairly complex nature of these files, only a few .EXE packers support it: WinLite, PackWin, and PKLite 2.01 or NeLite for OS/2.
A NE is also called a segmented executable.
with DOS. When run under DOS, a so-called DOS stub is executed which usually prints a message and exits. However, Windows 1.0 executables have their file header formatted in such a way that DOS refuses to run them with the "program too large to fit in memory" error message, see Windows 1.0 Features.
16-bit application
A 16 bit application is any software written for MS-DOS, OS/2 1.x or early versions of Microsoft Windows which originally ran on the 16-bit Intel 8088 and Intel 80286 microprocessors. Such applications used a 20-bit or 24-bit segment or selector-offset address representation to extend the range of...
.exe
EXE
EXE is the common filename extension denoting an executable file in the DOS, OpenVMS, Microsoft Windows, Symbian, and OS/2 operating systems....
file format
File format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
, a successor to the DOS MZ executable format. It was used in a special version of MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
, Windows 1.0
Windows 1.0
Windows 1.0 is a 16-bit graphical operating environment, developed by Microsoft and released on 20 November 1985. It was Microsoft's first attempt to implement a multi-tasking graphical user interface-based operating environment on the PC platform. Windows 1.0 was the first version of Windows...
, Windows 2.x
Windows 2.x
Windows 2.x can refer to either an individual or all of the following versions of Microsoft Windows:* Windows 2.0* Windows 2.1x...
, and Windows 3.x
Windows 3.x
Windows 3.x can refer to either an individual or all of the following versions of Microsoft Windows:*Windows 3.0*Windows 3.1x*Windows 3.2...
. While it was "new" at the time of invention, it is now rare and obsolete, though it is used in a small number of programs.
History
New Executable made its first appearance in Windows 1.0Windows 1.0
Windows 1.0 is a 16-bit graphical operating environment, developed by Microsoft and released on 20 November 1985. It was Microsoft's first attempt to implement a multi-tasking graphical user interface-based operating environment on the PC platform. Windows 1.0 was the first version of Windows...
in 1985 and then was used in the multitasking European MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
4.0 in 1986, which falls between mainstream MS-DOS versions 3.2 and 3.3., and OS/2
OS/2
OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal...
in 1987.
The target operating system field in the file header makes 01=OS/2 02=Windows 03=European MS-DOS 4.0 suggesting that OS/2 support was planned when this file format was developed, knowing that the Joint Development Agreement of IBM and Microsoft for OS/2 started in August 1985, a few months before Windows 1.0 was released in November 1985.
The Portable Executable
Portable Executable
The Portable Executable format is a file format for executables, object code and DLLs, used in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows operating systems. The term "portable" refers to the format's versatility in numerous environments of operating system software architecture...
format replaced NE format in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, while LX Linear Executables replaced NE for 32 bits programs in OS/2.
Compatibility
While designed for 16-bit OSesOperating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, NE executables can be run on 32-bit Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. Beginning with Windows Vista, icon resources inside New Executables are not extracted and shown even by the 32-bit shell. 64-bit versions of Windows completely lack native support for running NE executables, because 64-bit Windows can't run 16-bit programs on the processor without the help of an emulator.
Due to the rare and fairly complex nature of these files, only a few .EXE packers support it: WinLite, PackWin, and PKLite 2.01 or NeLite for OS/2.
A NE is also called a segmented executable.
DOS stub
NE executables retain the DOS MZ format file header for backward compatibilityBackward compatibility
In the context of telecommunications and computing, a device or technology is said to be backward or downward compatible if it can work with input generated by an older device...
with DOS. When run under DOS, a so-called DOS stub is executed which usually prints a message and exits. However, Windows 1.0 executables have their file header formatted in such a way that DOS refuses to run them with the "program too large to fit in memory" error message, see Windows 1.0 Features.