# Difference between the two .exe files once packaged?

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/difference-between-the-two-exe-files-once-packaged/396720>\
**Category:** Platform & Builds\
**Tags:** build, unreal-engine, packaging-projects, UE4, question\
**Created:** [June 28, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/difference-between-the-two-exe-files-once-packaged/396720 "2017-06-28T13:16:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LQA](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@LQA](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LQA)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/difference-between-the-two-exe-files-once-packaged/396720/1 "2017-06-28T13:16:09Z")

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Hey all,

I’m building/packaging projects for the first time and when I package my project (for development) I get two different .exe files found in:  
WindowsNoEditor\>YourProjectName.exe  
and  
WindowsNoEditor\>YourProjectName\>Binaries\>YourTargetPlatform\>YourProjectName.exe

I realise the latter is the expected build in the destination path described in the documentation, and is considerably larger in size than the other one. They both run smoothly so just wondering what the other one found in the WindowsNoEditor file is for?

I couldn’t find anything in the documentation about this so perhaps I’m doing something wrong and I shouldn’t be getting two files…

This particular project was built using 4.15.3 for Windows64.

Thanks 🙂

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**Author:** ![terry\_burns85](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@terry\_burns85](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/terry_burns85)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/difference-between-the-two-exe-files-once-packaged/396720/2 "2017-06-29T14:09:20Z")

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The exe in the root of WindowsNoEditor is the Bootstrap executable. It should be there. Running that launches the exe inside YourProjectName/Binaries and does some sanity checks. It also appends the commandline when running.

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**Author:** ![LQA](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@LQA](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/LQA)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2017, 9:30am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/difference-between-the-two-exe-files-once-packaged/396720/3 "2017-08-13T09:30:38Z")

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Ah ok, thanks 🙂

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**Author:** ![bo0olean](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/bo0olean/32/464984_2.png) [@bo0olean](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/bo0olean)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:50pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/difference-between-the-two-exe-files-once-packaged/396720/4 "2023-08-09T23:50:42Z")

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Bump!  
@terry_burns85, do you know what sanity checks are performed as part of the outer executable?