.COM File Extension

Executable program, similar to a .EXE file, but typically smaller and uses a more basic syntax without any metadata; COM files are most often used to execute a list of instructions, while EXE files are full-fledged programs; they are written for MS-DOS, but can be executed in Windows.

Note: If a folder contains both COM and EXE files with the same filename, the COM file is run (instead of the EXE file) if the filename typed at the command prompt without the extension.

The ".com" file extension has been used by DOS and Windows files for several decades and should not be confused with the ".com" domain suffix, which became well-known with the growth of the Web.