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GetBinaryType function

Applies to: desktop apps only

Determines whether a file is an executable (.exe) file, and if so, which subsystem runs the executable file.

Syntax

Copy

BOOL WINAPI GetBinaryType(
  __in   LPCTSTR lpApplicationName,
  __out  LPDWORD lpBinaryType
);

Parameters

lpApplicationName [in]

The full path of the file whose executable type is to be determined.

In the ANSI version of this function, the name is limited to MAX_PATH characters. To extend this limit to 32,767 wide characters, call the Unicode version of the function and prepend "\\?\" to the path. For more information, see Naming a File.

lpBinaryType [out]

A pointer to a variable to receive information about the executable type of the file specified by lpApplicationName. The following constants are defined.

Value	Meaning
SCS_32BIT_BINARY 0	A 32-bit Windows-based application
SCS_64BIT_BINARY 6	A 64-bit Windows-based application.
SCS_DOS_BINARY 1	An MS-DOS – based application
SCS_OS216_BINARY 5	A 16-bit OS/2-based application
SCS_PIF_BINARY 3	A PIF file that executes an MS-DOS – based application
SCS_POSIX_BINARY 4	A POSIX – based application
SCS_WOW_BINARY 2	A 16-bit Windows-based application

Return value

If the file is executable, the return value is nonzero. The function sets the variable pointed to by lpBinaryType to indicate the file's executable type.

If the file is not executable, or if the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError. If the file is a DLL, the last error code is ERROR_BAD_EXE_FORMAT.

Remarks

As an alternative, you can obtain the same information by calling the SHGetFileInfo function, passing the SHGFI_EXETYPE flag in the uFlags parameter.

Symbolic link behavior—If the path points to a symbolic link, the target file is used.

Requirements

Minimum supported client	Windows XP
Minimum supported server	Windows Server 2003
Header	WinBase.h (include Windows.h)
Library	Kernel32.lib
DLL	Kernel32.dll
Unicode and ANSI names	GetBinaryTypeW (Unicode) and GetBinaryTypeA (ANSI)

Tested on Windows 2008 and Window7 32-bit and 64-bit machines:

If you run GetBinaryType on a 64-bit machine against 32-bit and 64-bit DLLs, the function returns FALSE
with GetLastError set to ERROR_BAD_EXE_FORMAT, as expected. If you run GetBinaryType on a 32-bit
machine against 32-bit DLLs, the result is the same.

However, if you run GetBinaryType on a 32-bit machine against a 64-bit DLL, the function unexpectedly
returns TRUE with BinaryType set to SCS_64BIT_BINARY. That's quite inconsistent behaviour and not
very helpful.

History

11/21/2009
Corinna Vinschen

Fails for .dll files

This API fails for .dll files. When it says 'If the file is not executable, or if the function fails, the return value is zero' it isn't talking about PE files; it's talking only about files with .exe extensions (applications).