How to find out if an *.exe is 32bit or 64bit without starting it?

[pstein]

Is there a way to find out if a given *.exe file is 32bit or 64bit executable.
The program should ...
- NOT be started (and investigated in TaskManager)
- NOT be installed and checked if it is installed in C:\Program files (x86) or not
- NOT be checked at the authors site

I am searching a tool which takes the *.exe as parameter and investigates the binary code to find out the 32bit or 64bit property

Peter
http://windows7forums.com/windows-7...t-if-*-exe-32bit-64bit-without-starting.html#

 

[marsmimar]

Please accept my apology in advance. I've never been accused of being the sharpest knife in the drawer so I'm a bit confused. You don't want the *.exe file installed, started, or checked at the author's web site.

Hypothetically, how was the file obtained? On a CD or DVD, perhaps? A flash drive? Was it a digital download file?

Wouldn't any "tool" have to be able to open the file to examine it? And wouldn't opening the file be kinda, sorta like starting it?

 

[derekimo]

This any help?

How to tell if a .exe file is a 32-bit or 64-bit application using dumpbin - The Windows HPC Team Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

 

[drkh]

For people who are brought here by search engines:

The answer to the question is to search for "EXE Explorer" by MiTec, a little free tool which reports whether a binary file is for 64-bit architecture or for 32-bit. It also displays many other properties of the binary file.

I need to, from a large mixture of executables, pick the 32-bit and DOS ones to run on a 32-bit machine. So I found this tool.

 

[Sir George]

Is there a way to find out if a given *.exe file is 32bit or 64bit executable.
The program should ...
- NOT be started (and investigated in TaskManager)
- NOT be installed and checked if it is installed in C:\Program files (x86) or not
- NOT be checked at the authors site

I am searching a tool which takes the *.exe as parameter and investigates the binary code to find out the 32bit or 64bit property

Peter
http://windows7forums.com/windows-7...t-if-*-exe-32bit-64bit-without-starting.html#

The easiest way, without installing another program or running the file, is just to right click on the file, choose Properties, and then go the the Compatibility options tab. If there are no greyed out options and Windows XP and 9x modes are offered, it's 32-bit. If there are greyed out options and Vista is the earliest mode offered, it's 64-bit.

HTH

 

[MilesAhead]

Is there a way to find out if a given *.exe file is 32bit or 64bit executable.
The program should ...
- NOT be started (and investigated in TaskManager)
- NOT be installed and checked if it is installed in C:\Program files (x86) or not
- NOT be checked at the authors site

I am searching a tool which takes the *.exe as parameter and investigates the binary code to find out the 32bit or 64bit property

Peter

The easiest way, without installing another program or running the file, is just to right click on the file, choose Properties, and then go the the Compatibility options tab. If there are no greyed out options and Windows XP and 9x modes are offered, it's 32-bit. If there are greyed out options and Vista is the earliest mode offered, it's 64-bit.

HTH

That doesn't work for CCleaner portable x64. It does not show as 32 bit in TM but it does have W9x options in compatibility mode. Seems the PE header must have some magic info that those binary utilities are looking at. A hex editor would probably be enough. I don't know the signature though.