Extract text from compressed executable files (EX_)
To convert EX_ executables to another format, you need Microsoft Windows or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compressed Executable File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Windows or a similar tool.
A .ex_ file is a compressed Windows executable file. Microsoft and software installers like InstallShield historically used this format to save disk space when distributing software on floppy disks or CD-ROMs. The underscore character specifically indicates that the original EXE file was compressed using legacy utilities such as Microsoft compress.exe or MakeCAB.
You can extract these files using 7-Zip or the built-in Windows EXPAND.EXE command-line tool. Often, they are associated with or packaged inside Microsoft Cabinet (CAB) files. The primary disadvantage of a .ex_ file is that Windows cannot execute it directly. It remains a dormant archive until extracted. Users typically encounter this format when exploring old software archives or when an executable file is deliberately renamed to bypass strict email attachment filters.
Standard online converters fail to process .ex_ files because they utilize older, obscure compression methods rather than standard document or media encoding. The best conversion target is a standard EXE file, which restores its ability to run natively on a Windows operating system. Alternatively, repacking the contents into a modern ZIP file makes the software easier to share without triggering security blocks.
Because this file is often an older, proprietary compressed format, it is frustrating to open without specific command-line knowledge. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, extracting or converting the data may still be successful.
Convert.Guru analyzes your EX_ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted EX, EXE, ZIP, XAPK, 7Z, AIP and DB0 files.
If you want to convert EX_ file to EXE, MSI, APP, DMG, DEB, RPM, PKG, RUN, SH, BAT, CMD or COM, you can use Microsoft Windows or similar software from the "Compressed Executable Distribution" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert JAR, APP, SCR, IPA, COM, AAB, PS1, DMG, VBS, EXE, XAPK or MSI files to EX_, try Microsoft Windows or another comparable tool in the "Compressed Executable Distribution" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our EX_ converter.