LINK.exe.md

The linker: link.exe

Command Line Switches for link.exe

NB: the following list has not yet been checked and mostly contains findings from looking at link.exe in raw form. Some of the arguments to individual command line switches certainly require more research and confirmation.

Also note: not all findings will apply to older or newer versions of the toolchain.

The undocumented or barely mentioned switches are in bold, the documented ones are not.

Command line switch	Purpose
/align	Specifies the alignment of each section.
/allowbadrvaforfirstsection
/allowbind	Specifies that a DLL can't be bound.
/allowimagesizeover2gb
/allowisolation	Specifies behavior for manifest lookup.
/allpdata
/alternatename	By specifying /alternatename:X=Y you can tell the linker to use Y when searching for symbol Y
/appcontainer	Specifies whether the app must run within an appcontainer process environment.
/arm64hazardexist
/arm64hazardfree
/arm64xaggressiverwdatafold
/arm64xcrossresolve
/arm64xemulatorbuild
/arm64xfastforward
/arm64xfoldrwdata
/arm64xhack
/arm64xnewchameleonlibfmt
/arm64xnomergeimports
/arm64xnoreorderobjs
/arm64xsameaddress
/arm64xuselegacyffs
/armhazardexist
/armhazardfree
/assemblydebug	Adds the System.Diagnostics.DebuggableAttribute to a managed image.
/assemblylinkresource	Creates a link to a managed resource.
/assemblymodule	Specifies that a Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) module should be imported into the assembly.
/assemblymodulemap
/assemblyresource	Embeds a managed resource file in an assembly.
/b2
/base	Sets a base address for the program.
/baserelocclustering
/brepro
/cetcompat	Marks the binary as CET Shadow Stack compatible.
/cetcompatstrict
/cetdynamicapisinproc
/cetipvalidationrelaxed
/cgthreads	Sets number of cl.exe threads to use for optimization and code generation when link-time code generation is specified.
/clrimagetype	Sets the type (IJW, pure, or safe) of a CLR image.
/clrloaderoptimization
/clrnetcore
/clrrvaentry
/clrsignhash
/clrsupportlasterror	Preserves the last error code of functions that are called through the P/Invoke mechanism.
/clrsupportlasterrordll
/clrthreadattribute	Specifies the threading attribute to apply to the entry point of your CLR program.
/clrunmanagedcodecheck	Specifies whether the linker will apply the SuppressUnmanagedCodeSecurity attribute to linker-generated P/Invoke stubs that call from managed code into native DLLs.
/coffsecttopdbstrm
/crashondiag
/cvtres
/cxxmodulestrongownership
/d2
/db
/debug	Creates debugging information.
/debugtype	Specifies which data to include in debugging information.
/def	Passes a module-definition (.def) file to the linker.
/defarm64native
/defaultlib	Searches the specified library when external references are resolved.
/delay	Controls the delayed loading of DLLs.
/delayload	Causes the delayed loading of the specified DLL.
/delaysign	Partially signs an assembly.
/dependentloadflag	Sets default flags on dependent DLL loads.
/didatownsection
/disallowlib
/discardtrack
/dll	Builds a DLL.
/dllrename
/driver	Creates a kernel mode driver.
/dynamicbase	Specifies whether to generate an executable image that's rebased at load time by using the address space layout randomization (ASLR) feature.
/dynamicvalue
/editandcontinue
/emitasx64image
/emitasx64imagewithaa64
/emitpogophaseinfo
/emittoolversioninfo
/emitvolatilemetadata
/enclave
/encpadsize
/entry	Sets the starting address.
/errorreport	Deprecated. Error reporting is controlled by Windows Error Reporting (WER) settings.
/etm
/expectedoutputsize
/experimental
/export	Exports a function.
/exportarm64native
/exportpadmin
/fastfail
/fastgenprofile	Both of these options specify generation of a .pgd file by the linker to support profile-guided optimization (PGO). /GENPROFILE and /FASTGENPROFILE use different default parameters.
/fe
/filealign	Aligns sections within the output file on multiples of a specified value.
/fixed	Creates a program that can be loaded only at its preferred base address.
/force	Forces a link to complete even with unresolved symbols or symbols defined more than once.
/forcewinmdversion12
/fullbuild
/funcoverride
/funcoverridedisablefunc
/funcoverrideemitcand
/funcoverrideoncallsites
/functionpadmin	Creates an image that can be hot patched.
/genpdbfromscratch
/genprofile	Both of these options specify generation of a .pgd file by the linker to support profile-guided optimization (PGO). /GENPROFILE and /FASTGENPROFILE use different default parameters.
/guard	Enables Control Flow Guard protection.
/guardsym
/heap	Sets the size of the heap, in bytes.
/highentropyva	Specifies support for high-entropy 64-bit address space layout randomization (ASLR).
/hotpatchcompatible
/hybriddefupgrade
/hybridexportthunks
/hybriduseguestmachine
/icfsection
/idlout	Specifies the name of the .idl file and other MIDL output files.
/ignore	Suppresses output of specified linker warnings.
/ignoreidl	Prevents the processing of attribute information into an .idl file.
/ilk	Overrides the default incremental database file name.
/iltcgwarningoff
/implib	Overrides the default import library name.
/impthunkalign
/include	Forces symbol references.
/includecoffsection
/incremental	Controls incremental linking.
/inferasanlibs	Uses inferred sanitizer libraries.
/integritycheck	Specifies that the module requires a signature check at load time.
/kernel
/keycontainer	Specifies a key container to sign an assembly.
/keyfile	Specifies a key or key pair to sign an assembly.
/largeaddressaware	Tells the compiler that the application supports addresses larger than 2 gigabytes
/last
/layoutpagesize
/libpath	Specifies a path to search before the environmental library path.
/linkrepro	Specifies a path to generate link repro artifacts in.
/linkreprotarget	Generates a link repro only when producing the specified target.16.1
/logo
/ltcg	Specifies link-time code generation.
/ltcgasmlist
/ltcgout
/machine	Specifies the target platform.
/manifest	Creates a side-by-side manifest file and optionally embeds it in the binary.
/manifestdependency	Specifies a <dependentAssembly> section in the manifest file.
/manifestfile	Changes the default name of the manifest file.
/manifestinput	Specifies a manifest input file for the linker to process and embed in the binary. You can use this option multiple times to specify more than one manifest input file.
/manifestuac	Specifies whether User Account Control (UAC) information is embedded in the program manifest.
/map	Creates a mapfile.
/mapinfo	Includes the specified information in the mapfile.
/maxilksize
/merge	Combines sections.
/midl	Specifies MIDL command-line options.
/midlexe
/minpdbpathlen
/mt
/natvis	Adds debugger visualizers from a Natvis file to the program database (PDB).
/noassembly	Suppresses the creation of a .NET Framework assembly.
/nocoffgrpinfo
/nocomentry
/nod
/nodbgdirmerge
/nodefaultlib	Ignores all (or the specified) default libraries when external references are resolved.
/noentry	Creates a resource-only DLL.
/noexp
/nofunctionpadsection
/noilinkcoffgrppad
/noimplib
/nolinkrepro
/nologo	Suppresses the startup banner.
/noltcgoptref
/nomap
/noonfailrepro
/nooptcfg
/nooptdidat
/nooptgids
/nooptidata
/nooptrefbeforeltcg
/noopttls
/novcfeature
/noxdatamerge
/nxcompat	Marks an executable as verified to be compatible with the Windows Data Execution Prevention feature.
/objmap
/odr
/odrignore
/odrignoresamesize
/onfailrepro
/opt	Controls LINK optimizations.
/opticfbytecomp
/order	Places COMDATs into the image in a predetermined order.
/osversion
/out	Specifies the output file name.
/pagesize
/pathmap
/pchmap
/pdb	Creates a PDB file.
/pdbaltpath	Uses an alternate location to save a PDB file.
/pdbcompress
/pdbdbgqsize
/pdbdbgst
/pdbdll
/pdbmap
/pdbmodclosethreads
/pdbpagesize
/pdbpath
/pdbrpc
/pdbstripped	Creates a PDB file that has no private symbols.
/pdbthreads
/pdbtmcache
/pgd	Specifies a .pgd file for profile-guided optimizations.
/pogonoshare
/pogosafemode	Obsolete Creates a thread-safe PGO instrumented build.
/prefetch
/profile	Produces an output file that can be used with the Performance Tools profiler.
/rc
/re
/release	Sets the Checksum in the .exe header.
/reportnoncomdatguardfunc
/retryonfileopenfailure
/runbelow4gb
/safeseh	Specifies that the image will contain a table of safe exception handlers.
/savebaserelocations
/section	Overrides the attributes of a section.
/sectionlayout
/simarm
/simarm64
/skipincrementalchecks
/sourcelink	Specifies a SourceLink file to add to the PDB.
/sourcemap
/spdembed
/spdidstr
/spdin
/spdindex
/spgo
/stack	Sets the size of the stack in bytes.
/stricticfthunkalign
/striprtti
/stub	Attaches an MS-DOS stub program to a Win32 program.
/subsystem	Tells the operating system how to run the .exe file.
/subsystemversion
/swaprun	Tells the operating system to copy the linker output to a swap file before it's run.
/test
/throwingnew
/time	Output linker pass timing information.
/time+
/tlbid	Specifies the resource ID of the linker-generated type library.
/tlbout	Specifies the name of the .tlb file and other MIDL output files.
/trimfile
/tsaware	Creates an application that is designed specifically to run under Terminal Server.
/useprofile	Uses profile-guided optimization training data to create an optimized image.
/verbose	Prints linker progress messages.
/version	Assigns a version number.
/vulcannotrecognizenewdelaythunk
/warnduplicatesections
/wbrdcfg
/wbrddll
/wbrdlog
/wbrdreporterrors
/wbrdschema
/wbrdsummary
/wbrdtestencrypt
/weakorder
/wholearchive	Includes every object file from specified static libraries.
/win32version
/winmd	Enables generation of a Windows Runtime Metadata file.
/winmddelaysign	Partially signs a Windows Runtime Metadata (.winmd) file by placing the public key in the winmd file.
/winmdfile	Specifies the file name for the Windows Runtime Metadata (winmd) output file that's generated by the /winmd linker option.
/winmdkeycontainer	Specifies a key container to sign a Windows Metadata file.
/winmdkeyfile	Specifies a key or key pair to sign a Windows Runtime Metadata file.
/winmdmap
/winmdsignhash
/winmdversion
/wowa64
/wowa64lib
/wx	Treats linker warnings as errors.
/x86pdata
/xoff
@	Specify a command (or response) file with one command line option per line

Environment variables for link.exe

Environment variable	Description
_CVTCIL_
_LIB_
_LINK_	used after the command line (and LINK)
_PRELIB_
_PUSHTHUNKOBJ_
EnterpriseWDK
LOG_BUILD_COMMANDLINES	file name to log command lines into
LINK	used before command line
LINK_DB	.ilk file name?
LINK_REPRO	directory for link repro? can be used instead of /linkrepro
LINK_REPRO_NAME
SPGO_SPD_IDSTR
MSVCETW_PARENT_CONTEXT_THREAD_ID
PRINT_HRESULT_ON_FAIL	1 (or even non-empty?)
VSLANG	the LANGID (e.g. 1033/0x409 for US-English)
VS_UNICODE_OUTPUT	file number (integer, such as for stdout, stderr), used by Visual Studio IDE, used to detect running in the IDE
VSTEL_SolutionSessionID	some GUID; adhoc generated?
VSTEL_CurrentSolutionBuildID	an (unsigned?) integer (PID/TID?)
VSTEL_ProjectID	a GUID; does it correspond to project GUID?

Used (and populated) internally for /pdbaltpath:

• _EXT
• _PDB

Glossary (guessed)

• ICF: identical COMDAT folding
• POGO: Profile Guided Optimization
• WarBird (also wrbrd/wbrd) ... some sort of obfuscation technology (also here, here and here)

Subjects of the study

These are subject to change, eventually.

• link.exe (14.34.31933)
  • SHA256: 38f375b084e796c6be3ae724641136897770fbc4858e578724f7956c41c48fce
  • Host/Target: x86-64 / x86-64
  • Version:
    • File: 14.34.31937.0
    • Product: 14.34.31937.0
• link.exe (14.36.32532)
  • SHA256: 3b0e8472ab78036f3cdaf67b392aee631228ce1dc6131e486d0041f6191c6a9e
  • Host/Target: x86-64 / x86-64
  • Version:
    • File: 14.36.32534.0
    • Product: 14.36.32534.0