Which file type lets you open, view, and edit a variety of 32-bit Windows executable file types, such as EXE, DLL, and ActiveX Controls?

Which file type lets you open, view, and edit a variety of 32-bit Windows executable file types, such as EXE, DLL, and ActiveX Controls?

• A. PEiD
• B. Dependency Walker
• C. PE format
• D. IDA

Answer: (C)

Windows executables and related modules follow a single, standard container: the Portable Executable format. EXE, DLL, and OCX (ActiveX controls) are all PE files, meaning they’re built using this structure that Windows understands for loading and linking. A PE file includes a DOS stub, a PE/COFF header, an optional header that describes how the image should be loaded, and a table of sections that hold code, data, resources, and the import/export information. This consistent layout is what tools rely on to open, view, and even edit the binary’s contents at the file level, patching headers or sections as needed. The other options are tools rather than the file type: PEiD is used to detect packers or packers signatures inside PE files; Dependency Walker analyzes the imports and exports of a PE to show its dependencies; IDA is a disassembler that analyzes code inside binaries. None of these define the file format itself, which is why the correct choice is the Portable Executable format.

Windows executables and related modules follow a single, standard container: the Portable Executable format. EXE, DLL, and OCX (ActiveX controls) are all PE files, meaning they’re built using this structure that Windows understands for loading and linking.

A PE file includes a DOS stub, a PE/COFF header, an optional header that describes how the image should be loaded, and a table of sections that hold code, data, resources, and the import/export information. This consistent layout is what tools rely on to open, view, and even edit the binary’s contents at the file level, patching headers or sections as needed.

The other options are tools rather than the file type: PEiD is used to detect packers or packers signatures inside PE files; Dependency Walker analyzes the imports and exports of a PE to show its dependencies; IDA is a disassembler that analyzes code inside binaries. None of these define the file format itself, which is why the correct choice is the Portable Executable format.