When creating media files to share with others, it’s normally best to save them in a standard format, maybe MP3 or MP4, something you know just about everything in the world can play.

Audio/Video to EXE is a free tool which does something a little different, converting almost any audio or video format into a stand-alone executable. Launch the file and it just plays your media, no other player or codecs required.

One major issue with this idea is it takes something you could previously play anywhere, and makes it PC-only, which doesn’t seem like a smart move. But if you know your audience, that might not be such a problem. And in some situations it might be a plus to convert a media file into a format which others can’t easily edit (although it can still be done, so don’t think this offers any great protection).

Import media files. “Save As” to EXE, and that’s it. (You’re not going to need a manual.)

The program is portable, with no setup or configuration required, so running a conversion is extremely simple. Click File > Open, choose your target audio or video file; click Converter > Create EXE, select a destination folder, and that’s it: you’re finished.

The good news is this all worked as advertised on our test PC, turning various media files into stand-alone executables which all played correctly.

The main problem is this free build doesn’t have a player console, navigation bar, menu or anything else (the Pro version gives you more features for around $12).

If you’re creating the files for your own benefit then you can control playback from the keyboard (press space to pause/ resume, use the right/ left cursor keys to go forward/ back), but people who don’t realise this will only be able to sit back and watch.

The program window doesn’t even disappear when it’s finished playing; you’re left to press Esc or close it manually.

Audio/Video to EXE’s player is about as basic as you can get, then, but at least that keeps it easy to use. If you like the core idea then it’s worth a try.