Files with the .ex_ extension are associated with the Microsoft Windows operating system. Specifically, they are compressed versions of installation files used when installing software on a Windows PC. Similar to the .exe format, these files can only be run on a Windows PC or a non-Windows computer that has Windows emulation. What makes them different than standard .exe files is the fact that they are for installation purposes only. A normal Windows executable used to launch an already installed application will not be compressed, thus it will not have th .ex_ extension. Furthermore, in most cases when a file extension contains two characters followed by the underscore (_), it means the file is compressed. This is true regardless of the extension. For example, a .sy_ is a compressed .sys file, a .dl_ is a compressed .dll file, and so on.
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Two other types of compressed installation files Windows uses have the extension .msi or .cab. When these files are decompressed they will contain the .ex_ or .exe needed to install the software. The Windows OS has built-in tools to extract .msi, .cab., and .exe with the simple click of a mouse, but the .ex_ file must be extracted from the command line. From the DOS prompt in Windows 2000 or later, the command used would be as follows: expand [drive]: file pathfile name.ex_ c:filepathfile name.exe. This command will decompress the file and move it to the C drive with the .exe extension, where it can be installed. For Windows 98 and true DOS, use the "extract" command rather than "expand".
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More Info Regarding File Extension Ex
Linux PCs running the Wine package can install many Windows software packages using the .exe, .cab., and .msi files, but they cannot utilize the .ex_ file. It must be extracted using the same Windows command line procedure. Some Linux distributions have DOS emulators available which can be useful with the extract command. Otherwise, the Linux user must extract the .ex_ on a Windows machine and then copy it to the Linux Machine.
Software developers compress .exe files primarily for two reasons. First, compressing the files helps to insure that the developer can fit all the necessary components of the program on a single installation disk. The compression technology used to create the .ex_ file is specifically designed for this task. It gives a better compression ratio than other methods like GZIP, RAR, and ZIP, allowing for more data on a disk. In cases where software is downloaded from a website rather than purchased at a store, the compressed files transfer more quickly and use less bandwidth.
The second reason for compressing executables is to conceal the contents of the file from anti-virus tools. These tools can only do a cursory scan of the .ex_ but cannot decompress it, thus allowing hackers to disguise malware, trojan downloaders, trackers and the like, to get by a computer's security system. Once on the other side, the .ex_ can be activated and installed by a simple script embedded in an email.
Since the .ex_ is merely a compressed executable file, no errors are directly associated with it. Uncompressed and standard .exe files on the other hand are prone to all sorts of errors. Progman.exe, winlogon.exe., and rundll.exe are some of the more common executables that produce errors. The reasons for these errors are so numerous and varying in scope, it is necessary to consult the Microsoft Support site for details and fixes. Before attempting to look up an error on the internet, be sure to write down the error message exactly as it appears on the screen. With the thousands of pages available on the Microsoft web site, having the detailed error message will help significantly narrow your search.
