Final answer:
An executable file is the way to make a computer do what you want, as it contains coded instructions that the computer's operating system can execute to perform tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
To make a computer perform a specific task, you can use an executable file. Unlike data files, which contain information that might be used by these programs, executable files are designed to be run by the computer's operating system, which then performs the coded instructions. Menus and file extensions are interfaces and identifiers, respectively, but neither perform actions on their own. Menus might contain options to execute these files, and file extensions help the operating system to identify the type of the file - for instance, ".exe" indicating an executable on Windows. However, it is the executable file itself that when launched, instructs the computer to carry out a set of operations defined in its code.