How can you open .exe files to see what is written inside?

Answer 1

It depends on the kind of .exe files.

Some .exe files are actually self-extracting or executable archives. In this case, using a multi-purpose tool like Winrar to extract the contents will suffice.

If there are other parameters involved, Winrar may not do the job. In these cases you can use tools like Universal Extractor, which will extract anything Winrar can extract, and then some.

If you're looking to open exe files with actual code, so that you can read the source code, you're looking at something more complicated than just an unpacker. Unfortunately, it is not easy to do this and understand the results. Code is not meant to be easily accessed, and when it is, it is not in regular text. One way that it can be done, though, is with a tool called PE Explorer. This can decompile an exe file so that you can read the code that is inside.

Again accessing or copying the source code of *.exe file is offence.Most of software developers encrypt it so that not one can access it & use it for any means.

Answer 2

.exe files are "executable", meaning that they are programs. If you can read machine code it might be interesting, otherwise it just runs on the computer.

A Way to open not run but open is if you open up wordpad then open the file like a text document it will show you codeing and some can be read but some parts with the symbols are just stateing that you do not have the correct characters to read that part

(don't use notepad it mixes the codeing up even with wordwrap off)

Answer 3

It is impossible to 'read' the contents of an executable, because it is compiled code.