For reverse engineers, malware analysts, and hardcore developers, the ability to look inside an executable file is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity. For years, the go-to tool for peeking under the hood of Windows applications was PE Explorer. It was reliable, feature-rich, and handled 32-bit executables with ease.
Download: You can find the latest releases (v2.03 and newer) on the PEExplorerV2 GitHub repository. Summary Comparison Heaventools PE Explorer PEExplorerV2 (zodiacon) 64-bit Support No (Limited to v1.99) Yes Status Commercial / Stagnant Open Source / Active Price Paid ($129+) Free Best For Legacy 32-bit deep analysis Modern 64-bit inspection
The developers officially stated that 64-bit support would only arrive in Version 2. pe explorer 64bit version 2
For security professionals, forensic analysts, and Windows developers who regularly work with 64-bit binaries, the answer is a resounding yes. Version 2 is not a cosmetic update; it is a necessary evolution that fixes decade-old pain points in PE32+ handling. The speed improvements alone—especially when scanning large directories or loading massive kernel executables—make it a worthwhile upgrade over the 32-bit version or any free alternative.
Version 2 correctly reads every field of the 64-bit NT headers: Inside the Binary: A Look at PE Explorer
Developed by zodiacon on GitHub, PEExplorerV2 is a modern, portable executable explorer that fills the gap left by the original software. Unlike its predecessor, it is built specifically to handle both x86 and x64 binaries. Key Features of Version 2.0+
Final Rating: 9.2/10
Deducting 0.8 for lack of scripting and a few minor UI glitches in dark mode. Download: You can find the latest releases (v2
However, Version 2 is not just a recompile with /LARGEADDRESSAWARE. The 64bit Version 2 introduces structural changes to handle the intricacies of the PE32+ format.