The ExeBrowser blog
Practical writing about running classic Windows software on machines it was never meant for — Chromebooks, iPads, modern Macs and Linux boxes — and how the underlying technology actually works.
- How to open an EXE file on a MacFive routes ranked by effort, including one that installs nothing — and what Apple Silicon changed.
- Is this .exe safe to run?What a file tells you about itself before it runs, what each signal is worth, and what none of it proves.
- “A DLL is missing” — what it meansThe four causes, why DLL download sites are the worst fix, and how to see what a program really needs.
- How to open an EXE file on AndroidWhat genuinely works on a phone in 2026, and why the "EXE opener" apps are not it.
- Why won't my old program run on Windows 11?Six specific reasons legacy software fails — missing 16-bit support, dead runtimes, retired copy protection — and the fix for each.
- What is an .exe file — and how do you open one?What's actually inside a Windows executable, how to open one on any platform, and how to look inside without running it.
- Open Cadet: rebuilding Space Cadet as open sourceHow we recreated the pinball data file from scratch — CC0, no Microsoft files.
- We tested 50+ Windows apps in the browserThe full compatibility table — what plays, what's partial, what won't run.
- How to extract files from an old installerUnpack a legacy setup.exe with 7-Zip, innoextract, or a browser sandbox — without installing it.
- Running 16-bit Windows 3.x software todayWhy the era of an app decides whether it runs — and how to tell.
- How to legally get classic Windows gamesFreeware, shareware, and where to buy the old ones — no piracy.
- How to run Windows software on a ChromebookFour ways, ranked, including the no-install browser route.
- Wine vs. an emulator: what's the difference?Why "Wine Is Not an Emulator" — and why ExeBrowser uses both.
- Run old software without a virtual machineWhen a VM is overkill and a browser tab will do.