# Linux/Mac strings target_executable.exe | grep "pyi" strings target_executable.exe | grep "python"

pyi-archive_viewer your_file.exe

When using tools like to reverse engineer or recover source code from a Python executable, encountering the error [!] Error: Missing cookie, unsupported pyinstaller version or not a pyinstaller archive can be a significant roadblock.

Encountering the dreaded PyInstaller unpack error? Learn what causes “missing cookie, unsupported version, or not a PyInstaller archive” and how to fix it.