Windows Executable — Windows portable executable program.
Quick facts
What is .exe
A .exe file is a Windows Executable — Windows portable executable program.
In the mime-db registry it maps to application/octet-stream, and it is marked as compressible. When serving .exe over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.
Related entities: it maps to application/octet-stream — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.
How to open .exe files
Developer info
When served over HTTP, responses should set the following header:
Content-Type: application/octet-stream
Common software that reads/writes .exe:
Relation chain
Related extensions
Related MIME types
Common uses
How to edit .exe files
How to create .exe files
Frequently asked questions
Common options include Windows, Wine. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.
Create a new file in any text editor or the app that owns the format and save it with the .exe extension.
application/octet-stream is the media type identifier used for .exe files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).
Sources & standards
Updated 2026-08-18
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