DOS MZ executable
| DOS MZ executable | |
|---|---|
| Filename extension | |
| 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 64 KB; however, the format still requires relatively low memory limits. These limits were later bypassed using DOS extenders.