How exe is executed by Windows? What are the exact steps?

I was struggling to learn the how applications are executed by CLR from last two days. I somehow got the process. Now I am c开发者_如何学编程urious to know how Windows distinguish between normal exe files and exe(assemblies) created by .Net compilers and linkers? Please help! Thank you for your kind attention!

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What you are looking for explained in very concise form in CLR via C# by Jeffery Ritcher.

Actually there are headers mainly PE hearder and CLR header which helps windows to decide whether an exe is a native exe or .net exe.

You can use dumpbin exe if you want to take a look at the headers for exe's yourself.