How to Decompile an .exe?

[MangoJuiceStain]

So there's this game that has only an .exe file and no other files. For a school project, I need to make a flash game and I need one of the background image files to use for my project. I don't know how to decompile the .exe to retrieve it. Does anyone know what software I could use? I tried UniExtractor, WinRAR, and 7-Zip. Thanks

[ForsakenLive]

You cannot decompile a .exe file.

[MangoJuiceStain]

You cannot decompile a .exe file.

So there's no way to view the files inside?

[Darren]

Take a screenshot, try searching for it on Google images with that screenshot?

[AMICLG]

IDK if you can extract a executable but for the (de)compiling of the SWF (flash), SoThink has a decompiler.

[terrytek]

If you compile an .exe with a compiler like Visual Studio, can't you do the opposite?

[smjpl]

I think your best bet would be to take a screen shot. It will be a hell of a lot easier.

 

If you compile an .exe with a compiler like Visual Studio, can't you do the opposite?

 

I don't think you can just decompile an exe file like that. I would be fairly sure you need the source code to be released.

[fizzlesticks]

Not free but http://www.multiextractor.com/ is proof that it is possible.

[osbios]

Make a screenshot! Its the easiest way.

 

Maybe the image is included via the PE resource part of the executable. In that case there are tools to extract it. But it may also just be inside a binary blob part of the file that gets interpreted by the program part.

Except stuff like java or script languages, PC programs are direct x86 machine code. You can dissemble it to get a better readable version of the machine code. And you also can make C code from it. But most of the informations of the original source coda are lost. And because of the complexity of most programs this makes a big difference.

Its like un-bake a cake to get the ingredients.

 

[edit]I hate forum software that removes my line breaks becasue I dont use javascript

[GoodBytes]

What language is the exe, do you know?

If the background is generated, or encrypted, or compressed in some fashion, you can't extract it.

If it is set a resources, you may MAYBE extract the image.

You CAN decompile an exe, they are tools, however you are required in depth knowledge on the topic.

However, if the exe is a package exe, then your life is much more complicated, and if its a Flash swf or exe (made with Adobe Flash, and not a swf to exe tools like SWF Studio) file or a jar file you can decompile it easily, they are tool on the web for that. But, if it and 'actual binary', then you are in for a world of hurt in trying to to extract it, if it is not a project resource file.

[yuh25]

I remember reading quite a while ago, that you can decompile an .exe file but it comes out as assembly code. No idea how you do it though.

[alpenwasser]

Decompilation is possible, but it's more of an art form than a precise

"click and done" process. For any non-trivial software package it's

rather tricky stuff and requires quite some skill and know-how AFAIK.

EDIT: Or, put differently, if you've never done it so far, you're not

likely to get the desired result within a reasonable timeframe for this

project.

[Keel]

You could try Resource Hacker but results will vary.

[ForsakenLive]

So there's no way to view the files inside?

You can, not on every language and it's not that simple. But getting the original source code 100%, won't happen.

[JustTooDank]

If it was that easy to just get the source code from an .exe, there wouldn't be a point to open-source software.

[LePawel]

You can try reverse engineering it though... GL with that

[alpenwasser]

If it was that easy to just get the source code from an .exe, there wouldn't be a point to open-source software.

Very true.

 

 

You can try reverse engineering it though... GL with that

It is actually possible, there is some special software for decompilation. I came across

a suite for that purpose a while ago, it was used by a guy on another forum who

works in cybersecurity, he said he uses it in his job for help in analysing malware

and things like that. It's very expensive though, and as said, it's not just

"click and done", much more of an art form, because decompilation is not unambiguous

(often, at least). I don't recall what the software was called though unfortunately,

and it certainly wouldn't be suitable for OP's purposes.