A COM file is an executable file in MS-DOS. COM files are smaller than EXE files, usually around 65 KB. COM files contain no metadata or headers. COM is an executable file format used in Microsoft ope...
A COM file is an executable file in MS-DOS. COM files are smaller than EXE files, usually around 65 KB. COM files contain no metadata or headers. COM is an executable file format used in Microsoft operating systems from MS-DOS to Windows Millennium.
A COM file executes a set of instructions. EXE files are for fully developed programs. Most Windows users don’t encounter COM files since they are used mainly in MS-DOS. But COM files can run under Windows.
When no extension is specified, MS-DOS runs a COM file before an EXE if both have the same name. For example, if a directory has foo.com and foo.exe, running “foo” executes foo.com.
Windows uses filename extensions to open files. If Windows doesn’t recognize an extension, you get a message to select an app for that file type. To open a COM file, download and install the appropriate program for your operating system from the list below.
MS-DOS
Windows Command Prompt