NE

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Executable Formats
Microsoft
16 bit: COM MZ NE Mixed (16/32 bit): LE 32/64 bit: PE COFF
*nix
a.out ELF
Apple
Mach-O

NE

Introduction

The WIN-NE executable format, designed for Windows 3.x, was the "NE", or "New Executable" format. Again, a 16bit format, it alleviated the maximum size restrictions that the MZ format had.

Support

Operating Systems that use it: Windows 1.01 through 3.xx. The format can be run on later 32 bit windows systems (in a VDM), but is not the native format.
Because of 64 bit lack of v8086, support is discarded on 64 bit windows.

Inside the NE file

Overview

DOS Stub

The DOS stub is a valid MZ exe. This enables the develper to package both an MS-DOS and Win16 version of the program, but nromally just prints "This Program requires Microsoft Windows". The e_lfanew field (offset 0x3C) points to the NE header.

NE Header

The NE header is a relatively large structure with multiple characteristics. Because of the age of the format some items are unclear in meaning. The structure is as below (some comments may be wrong. If so please change):

struct NE_header {
    char sig[2];                 //"NE"
    uint8_t MajLinkerVersion;    //The major linker version
    uint8_t MinLinkerVersion;    //The minor linker version
    uint16_t EntryTableOffset;   //Offset of entry table, see below
    uint16_t EntryTableLength;   //Length of entry table in bytes
    uint32_t FileLoadCRC;        //UNKNOWN - PLEASE ADD INFO
    uint8_t ProgFlags;           //Program flags, bitmapped
    uint8_t ApplFlags;           //Application flags, bitmapped
    uint8_t AutoDataSegIndex;    //The automatic data segment index
    uint16_t InitHeapSize;       //The intial local heap size
    uint16_t InitStackSize;      //The inital stack size
    uint32_t EntryPoint;         //CS:IP entry point, CS is index into segment table
    uint32_t InitStack;          //SS:SP inital stack pointer, SS is index into segment table
    uint16_t SegCount;           //Number of segments in segment table
    uint16_t ModRefs;            //Number of module references (DLLs)
    uint16_t NoResNamesTabSiz;   //Size of non-resident names table, in bytes (Please clarify non-resident names table)
    uint16_t SegTableOffset;     //Offset of Segment table
    uint16_t ResTableOffset;     //Offset of resources table
    uint16_t ResidNamTable;      //Offset of resident names table
    uint16_t ModRefTable;        //Offset of module reference table
    uint16_t ImportNameTable;    //Offset of imported names table (array of counted strings, terminated with string of length 00h)
    uint32_t OffStartNonResTab;  //Offset from start of file to non-resident names table
    uint16_t MovEntryCount;      //Count of moveable entry point listed in entry table
    uint16_t FileAlnSzShftCnt;   //File alligbment size shift count (0=9(default 512 byte pages))
    uint16_t nResTabEntries;     //Number of resource table entries
    uint8_t targOS;              //Target OS
    uint8_t OS2EXEFlags;         //Other OS/2 flags
    uint16_t retThunkOffset;     //Offset to return thunks or start of gangload area - what is gangload?
    uint16_t segrefthunksoff;    //Offset to segment reference thunks or size of gangload area
    uint16_t mincodeswap;        //Minimum code swap area size
    uint8_t expctwinver[2];      //Expected windows version (minor first)

//Program flags
enum dgrouptype {
    none,
    sinshared,
    multiple,
    null
};
#define GLOBINIT 1<<2
#define PMODEONLY 1<<3
#define INSTRUC86 1<<4
#define INSTRU286 1<<5
#define INSTRU386 1<<6
#define INSTRUx87 1<<7
};

See Also

NE

• OSRC
• fileformat.info

Executables

• MZ
• PE