DOS MZ executable - Wikipedia (FazBrowse)

[[.exe]]</code>, <code>[[COM file|.com]]</code>, <code>[[Dynamic-link library|.dll]]</code>, <code>[[.sys]]</code>"},"mime":{"wt":""},"uniform type":{"wt":""},"owner":{"wt":""},"magic":{"wt":"<code>4D 5A</code> (<code>MZ</code> in [[ASCII]])"},"genre":{"wt":"[[Binary file|Binary]], [[executable]]"},"container for":{"wt":""},"contained by":{"wt":""},"extended from":{"wt":""},"extended to":{"wt":"[[New Executable]]<br/>[[Linear Executable]]<br/>[[Portable Executable]]"},"standard":{"wt":""}},"i":0}}]}'>

DOS MZ executable
Filename extension	.exe, .com, .dll, .sys
Internet media type	application/x-dosexec, application/x-msdos-program, application/x-ms-dos-executable
Magic number	4D 5A (MZ in ASCII)
Type of format	Binary, executable
Extended to	New Executable Linear Executable Portable Executable

The DOS MZ executable format is the executable file format used for .EXE files under the DOS and Windows operating systems.

The file can be identified by the ASCII string "MZ" (hexadecimal: 4D 5A) at the beginning of the file (the "magic number"). "MZ" are the initials of Mark Zbikowski, one of the leading developers of MS-DOS.

The MZ DOS executable file is newer than the COM executable format and differs from it. The DOS executable header contains relocation information, which allows multiple segments to be loaded at arbitrary memory addresses, and it supports executables larger than MOVAX,@DATA MOVDS,AX

Termination

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In the original DOS 1.x API, it was also necessary to have the CS register pointing to the segment with the PSP at program termination; this was done via the following instructions:

Eager, Bob (2024-12-16). "Notes on the format of DOS .EXE files". PHOBOS reference material. Retrieved 2024-12-18.

References

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