User:Liliana-60/List of Windows executable files

This article lists all executable files of a standard Windows installation with all service packs and hotfixes installed, assuming a full installation (all optional components installed). "Executable files" are all files with a  or   extension. Screensavers (.scr), although technically being executable files, are not included in this list. For a list of Control Panel applets (.cpl), see List of Control Panel applets (Windows).

accwiz.exe
The Accessibility Wizard allows you to configure various accessibility tools.

actmovie.exe
Active Movie

ahui.exe
(Compatibility WIzard)

append.exe
(deprecated command-line command)

arp.exe
(command-line command)

at.exe
At is the task scheduler used in the Windows NT series. First introduced with Windows NT 3.1, it allows creating, editing and removing tasks. While it's now deprecated in favor of the graphical Task Scheduler imported from the Windows 9x series into Windows 2000, it remains fully functional.

atmadm.exe
(yet another command-line command)

attrib.exe
Command-line (Window's Command Prompt - cmd.exe) tool used to display or change file attributes. These file attributes are the same as the old DOS file attributes (archive, read-only, hidden & system) and will NOT change Window's NT extended attributes. Type ATTRIB /? at the prompt for usage and syntax.

autochk.exe
(there ought to be a main article about it)

blastcln.exe
The Blaster Removal Tool is installed with a patch for Windows 2000 and XP, and is also included in Windows XP Service Pack 2. It automatically removes common versions of the MSBlast virus from the computer once run.

bootcfg.exe
Command-line (Window's Command Prompt - cmd.exe) tool used to configure, query, change or delete the boot entry settings in the BOOT.INI file. Type BOOTCFG /? at the prompt for help on usage and syntax.

chcp.com
(the name implies it was once used to change code pages, however I need to get more information about it)

cidaemon.exe
(part of Indexing Service)

cipher.exe
(command-line NTFS cipher tool)

ckcnv.exe
(some Cookie Converter⁉)

cliconfg.exe
(belongs to the SQL server which ships with the NT series)

clipsrv.exe
clipsrv.exe is a DDE application used to share the clipboard on the network.

clspack.exe
(seems to be new... but what is it?)

cmdl32.exe
(Connection Manager stuff...)

cmmon32.exe
(Connection Manager monitor)

cmstp.exe
(more Connection Manager)

command.com
command.com is the command line shell used in MS-DOS, 16-bit Windows versions and Windows 9x. It's also included in the Windows NT series and fully functional, however due to it being a 16-bit application it is run inside the virtual DOS machine.

comp.exe
comp.exe is a command-line utility used to compare two files.

compact.exe
compact.exe is a command-line utility included in the Windows NT series. It allows the user to compact files and folders using the NTFS compression feature. The utility cannot be used for non-NTFS drives.

comsdupd.exe
(some update?)

conime.exe
(combine command-line and IME and you get this... actual technical information is needed here)

control.exe
The Control Panel allows the user to change various Windows settings. Up to Windows 3.1, the Control Panel was a separate utility and installed as control.exe. In Windows 95, the Control Panel was built into the Shell, and this file turned into a stub which opens said window.

convert.exe
convert.exe is a command-line application included in the Windows NT series which allows the user to convert any hard disk to the NTFS file system. However, the conversion cannot be undone.

cscript.exe
cscript.exe is the command-line utility counterpart to the Window's interface utility: wscript.exe, both of which are able to run VBScript (*.vbs) files using the Windows Script Host. Either can be made to be the default program to open VBScript files.

ctfmon.exe
ctfmon.exe is used for special IME systems, including East Asian IMEs.

dcomcnfg.exe
dcomcnfg.exe is a stub, redirecting to the Component Services MMC control.

ddeshare.exe
The DDE Share Manager is used to configure DDE shares.

debug.exe
debug.exe is a command-line assembly debugger. It was introduced as debug.com in MS-DOS 1.0, and kept in all subsequent versions of DOS/Windows.

defrag.exe
Command-line executable that defragments FAT & NTFS volumes in conjunction with the dfrgfat.exe & dfrgntfs.exe extensions. This utility starts the appropriate application depending whether the volume to be de-fragmented is FAT or NTFS, respectively. The MMC Console file : dfrg.msc  is the graphical interface to the Window's Disk Defragmenter utility, that then calls and uses defrag.exe. Defrag.exe can be invoked from the command-line - type DEFRAG /? at a Window's Command Prompt (cmd.exe) for help with usage and syntax.

dfrgntfs.exe
Microsoft have not released as formal specification of what task is performed by this exe. However, a bit of research and testing reveals that dfrgntfs.exe is a system utility used to defragment NTFS files so they reside in continuous locations. To this extent it is similar to running a disk defragmentation. The differences are:
 * It is started by the system as a background job.
 * It is invoked automatically usually, but not always, when the system is idle.
 * It has no GUI interface.
 * It cannot be run from the command line (at least not on XP).
 * It does not defrag a whole disk/volume. It appears that it optimises a single file or part of a disk.

There is not a lot of documentation out there on this exe but Faultwire has some details.

diantz.exe
diantz.exe is an exact copy of makecab.exe.

diskcomp.com
Although diskcomp.com is given an old DOS style ".com" file-name extension, the application has been re-written for XP in unicode and is actually an ".exe" executable. It's function remains the same, which is to compare two floppy disks. Type DISKCOMP /? at a Window's Command Prompt (cmd.exe) for help with usage and syntax.

diskcopy.com
diskcomp.com also has been given a ".com" extension, but has also been re-written in the unicode character set and is also an ".exe" executable. It's function is to make one or more copies of a floppy disk. Type DISKCOPY /? at a Window's Command Prompt (cmd.exe) for help with usage and syntax.

diskpart.exe
diskpart.exe is a command-line partitioning application with scripting support.

diskperf.exe
(part of Performance Monitor)

dllhost.exe
(need to get technical information on this)

dllhst3g.exe
(same here)

dmadmin.exe
(part of Logical Disk Manager)

dmremote.exe
(part of Logical Disk Manager)

doskey.exe
Doskey is a command-line application used to configure the command line and to define macros.

dosx.exe
(this one, unfortunately, seems to be completely undocumented... it has something to do with the Win16 subsystem and thus the NTVDM, though...)

dplaysvr.exe
(part of DirectPlay)

dpnsvr.exe
(part of DirectPlay)

dpvsetup.exe
(part of DirectPlay)

driverquery.exe
driverquery.exe is a command-line tool included with the Windows NT series which provides a list of device drivers.

drmupgds.exe
(something to do with DRM)

drwatson.exe
Dr. Watson is a debugger which is invoked when an application is crashing and provides information about the crash. It was used in various beta versions of Windows, but the first Windows version to include it in the final was Windows 95. In NT-based Windows systems, this file is responsible for documenting crashes inside the NTVDM.

drwtsn32.exe
This version of Dr. Watson is 32-bit, with the same purpose and function as the 16-bit version, and is included in the Windows NT series.

dumprep.exe
dumprep.exe, part of the Error Reporting Service, is invoked once an application crashes. It saves a dump which can then be sent to Microsoft. Additionally, it saves a dump if a blue screen appears.

dvdupgrd.exe
(DVD upgrading stuff...)

dwwin.exe
dwwin.exe is part of Windows Error Reporting. It is invoked once an application crashes, and then shows a dialog asking the user whether he wants to send a report to Microsoft.

dxdiag.exe
DirectX Diagnostics is an application that can be used to find DirectX errors. It's able to run various tests and shows a list of drivers.

dxdllreg.exe
(some DLL registering)

edit.com
edit.com is a user-friendly command-line text editor, featuring menu bars and keyboard shortcuts. Although actually an ".exe" executable and not a true ".com" file, is still the exact-same copy that shipped with Windows'98 and is a real-mode DOS application.

edlin.com
edlin.com is an old line-to-line command-line text editor. It was introduced in MS-DOS 1.0 and ships with every version of DOS and Windows.

esentutl.exe
(ESENT stuff...)

eudcedit.exe
The Private Character Editor allows the user to add custom characters to the Private Use Area. On East Asian computers it's located in the start menu, but for Western computers the only way to start it is by typing the file name in Start -> Run.

eventcreate.exe
(need to look into this one)

eventtriggers.exe
(same here)

eventvwr.exe
eventvwr.exe is a stub, redirecting to the Event Viewer MMC control.

exe2bin.exe
exe2bin.exe is a command-line utility which converts EXE files to BIN files (which can then be turned into COM files).

expand.exe
expand.exe is a command-line utility which can extract the compressed files of the Windows CD with an extension ending with an underscore.

extrac32.exe
extrac32.exe is a command-line utility which can extract cabinet files.

fastopen.exe
fastopen.exe is a MS-DOS utility which tries to improve performance of frequently used files. In Windows NT systems, it has been turned into a stub which has no effect.

faxpatch.exe
(claims to be from XP SP1, but has Windows Server 2003 version number...)

fc.exe
fc.exe is a command-line utility used to compare two files.

find.exe
find.exe is a command-line utility. There are actually two different applications with this name: the older one, used in MS-DOS, searches for a file in a given directory. Because in Windows NT the  command can fulfill a similar purpose, a different application is installed as find.exe, which searches a text file (or multiple files) for a given search term.

findstr.exe
findstr.exe is a command-line utility used to search for a string in a specified file. Unlike, it also supports regular expressions.

finger.exe
finger.exe is a command-line utility which can finger a specified computer within the network. Fingering a computer shows information about logged-in users on that computer.

fixmapi.exe
fixmapi.exe is included with Internet Explorer 5 and attempts to repair the MAPI if broken.

fltmc.exe
(Filter Manager stuff)

fontview.exe
fontview.exe is the Windows Font Viewer. It can't be run itself, but once a font is double-clicked on, fontview will show some information, and a filler text in various sizes, along with a button to print a sample.

forcedos.exe
forcedos.exe is a command-line utility of the Windows NT series. It forces an application to start inside the MS-DOS subsystem if it contains code for both DOS and OS/2.

format.com
format.com is a command-line utility which formats the specified drive. It was introduced with MS-DOS 1.0 and ships with every DOS and Windows version.

freecell.exe
freecell.exe represents the Windows card game FreeCell, introduced with Win32s and included with Windows 95 and all subsequent Windows versions.

fsquirt.exe
(Bluetooth stuff)

fsutil.exe
(need to get some information on this)

ftp.exe
ftp.exe is a command-line FTP browser which can be used either with a command (and thus in batch files) or interactively.

gdi.exe
The Graphics Device Interface is a vital part of Windows systems which draws graphics and communicates with the graphics card. Up to Windows 9x, this was one of the main Windows components. In the Windows NT series, it is only used for the NTVDM.

getmac.exe
getmac.exe is a command-line utility which returns the MAC address of all network cards of a given computer within the network.

gpresult.exe
(need to get information on this)

gpupdate.exe
(same here)

graftabl.com
graftabl.com is a MS-DOS utility that can load a different character set in graphical mode. It's still avaliable and fully functional in the Windows NT series.

graphics.com
graphics.com is a MS-DOS utility that allows the user to print the current screen with the Print Screen button. The application loads the printing commands from the  file depending on the specified printer, and executes them once the button is pressed.

grpconv.exe
grpconv.exe is a program which is automatically run when updating from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95, but can also be manually be executed on Windows 9x systems. It automatically converts Program Manager groups to Start Menu entries.

help.exe
help.exe represents the MS-DOS Help utility. In DOS, it is a graphical application with various information about commands and usage. In the Windows NT series, it just executes the help for the specified command.

hostname.exe
hostname.exe is a command-line utility which shows the host name of the local computer.

ie4uinit.exe
ie4uinit.exe is the Internet Explorer 5.0 Per-User install utility.

iexpress.exe
iexpress.exe is a wizard which allows you to create self-extracting files which automatically run the setup program inside. It's included in the Internet Explorer Administration Kit, and also comes with Windows XP.

imapi.exe
imapi.exe is a service of Windows XP and newer used for the built-in CD burning application.

ipconfig.exe
ipconfig.exe is a command-line utility which shows the network configuration of the local computer.

ipsec6.exe
ipsec6.exe is a command-line utility which configures IPSec settings for IPv6 networks.

ipv6.exe
ipv6.exe is a command-line utility which shows the network configuration of IPv6 network and configures general IPv6 settings.

ipxroute.exe
ipxroute.exe is a command-line utility which shows and modifies the IPX routing tables.

jdbgmgr.exe
jdbgmgr.exe is the Java Debugger Registrar. It is most widely known for the hoax which stated that this file is a virus because its icon represents the Microsoft Bear.

jview.exe
jview.exe is a command-line utility which can run Java applications.

kb16.com
kb16.com, the unicode equivalent of the  file in MS-DOS, allows you to change the keyboard layout in the command-line window via a TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) command-line program. Type KB16 /? at a Window's Command Prompt (cmd.exe) for help with usage and syntax.

krnl386.exe
krnl386.exe is the Windows kernel used for 386 systems. It represents the main Windows kernel for Windows for Workgroups and Windows 9x. In Windows NT based operating systems, it is only used for the NTVDM, since ntoskrnl.exe represents the Windows kernel on these systems.

label.exe
label.exe is a command-line utility which can show and edit the label of a volume.

lights.exe
lights.exe is a modem monitor which places a status icon in the system tray.