How to to view and edit the individual bytes of binary files? - Guide of Hex Editor/title> <meta name="Keywords" content="hex file compare, process viewer, hexadecimal editor, hex to dec, guide, faq"> <meta name="description" content="A general-service hex editor, particularly helpful in the areas of hex-byte editing, byte-pattern analysis, for example: IT security."> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/style-page.css" type="text/css"> </HEAD> <BODY> <center> <table cellspacing=0 border=0 class=cssHeader> <tr><td class=cssLogo rowspan=3><img src="/images/logo/qweas-60.gif" alt="Qweas Logo" border=0></td> <td rowspan=3 align=center> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> <td align=right valign=top width=350 nowrap> <a href="/bookmark.htm"><font color=green size=2 face=arial>bookmark this page</font></a> - <a href="/makehome.htm"><font color=green size=2 face=arial>make qweas your homepage</font></a> </td></tr> <tr><td class=cssSmallMenu> <a href="/helpcenter.htm" class=a0>Help Center</a> - <a href="/whatsnew.htm" class=a0>What's New</a> - <a href="/newsletter.htm" class=a0>Newsletter</a> - <a href="/press.htm" class=a0>Press</a> </td></tr> <tr><td class=cssSmallMenu> <a href="/getbuttons.htm" class=a0>Get Buttons</a> - <a href="/linktous.htm" class=a0>Link to Us</a> - <a href="/feedback.htm" class=a0>Feedback</a> - <a href="/contactus.htm" class=a0>Contact Us</a> </td></tr> </table> <table cellspacing=0 class=cssTopMenu> <tr><td align=center> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/">Home</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/">Download</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/store/">Store</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/new/">New Releases</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/popular/">Most Popular</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/picks/">Editor Picks</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/discount/">Special Prices</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/rate/">Rate</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/news/">News</a> | <a href="http://www.qweas.com/faq/">FAQ</a> </td></tr></table> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr><td class=cssSearchFrame> <form name="frmSearch" id="frmSearch" method="POST" action="http://www.qweas.com/search.asp" class=cssForm target=_blank> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0 class=cssSearch> <tr><td colspan=4 height=5></td></tr> <tr><td align=right valign=middle width=150><img src="/images/logo/qweas-3.gif" align=texttop></td> <td align=left valign=middle width=300><input name="txtKey" id="txtKey" value="" class=cssText></td> <td align=center valign=middle width=84><input type=image src="/images/search.gif" alt="search" align=texttop></td> <td align=left valign=middle> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/advsearch.htm" target=_blank><img src="/images/advsearch.gif" alt="Advanced Search ..." align=texttop border=0></a></td></tr> <tr><td></td><td valign=top><font face=arial size=2> <input type="radio" name="type" value="0">All Downloads <input type="radio" name="type" value="1" checked>Qweas Downloads </font></td><td></td><td></td></tr> <tr><td colspan=4 height=8></td></tr> </table> </form> </td></tr></table> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0 class=cssMiddle> <tr> <td class=cssLeftTd> <table border=0 cellspacing=5 class=cssLeftMenu> <tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/audio_mp3/" class=a1>Audio & MP3</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/video_dvd/" class=a1>Video & DVD</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/graphics/" class=a1>Graphics Tools</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/antivirus/" class=a1>Security & Anti-Virus</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/internet/" class=a1>Internet Utilities</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/system/" class=a1>System Tools</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/converters/" class=a1>File Converters</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/makers_designers/" class=a1>Makers & Designers</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/business/" class=a1>Business Finance</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/home_education/" class=a1>Home & Education</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fopen.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/" class=a1>Web Authoring</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssSubMenuBut> <table cellspacing=0 class=cssLeftSubMenu1><tr><td class=cssLeftSubMenu2> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/flash_animation_tools/" class=a1>Flash Animation Tools</a><br> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/gif_animation_tools/" class=a1>GIF Animation Tools</a><br> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/html_editors/" class=a1>HTML Editors</a><br> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/log_analyzers/" class=a1>Log Analyzers</a><br> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/site_promotion_tools/" class=a1>Site Promotion Tools</a><br> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/text_editors/" class=a1>Text Editors</a><br> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/xml_editors/" class=a1>XML Editors</a><br> </td></tr></table> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/game/" class=a1>Game Downloads</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://screensaver.qweas.com/" class=a1>Screensavers</a><br> </td></tr><tr><td class=cssMenuBut> <img src="/images/fclose.gif" align=left><a href="http://pocket.qweas.com/" class=a1>Pocket Devices</a><br> </td></tr></table> <br> <center> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <br><br>  <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/custom" target="google_window"> <table border="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <tr><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="top" align="left" height="32"> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap"> <input type="hidden" name="domains" value="qweas.com"></input> <input type="text" name="q" size="19" maxlength="255" value=""></input> </td></tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap"> <table> <tr> <td> <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value=""></input> <font size="-1" color="#000000">Web</font> </td> <td> <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="qweas.com" checked="checked"></input> <font size="-1" color="#000000">qweas.com</font> </td> </tr> </table> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Google Search"></input> <input type="hidden" name="client" value="pub-2887570416136676"></input> <input type="hidden" name="forid" value="1"></input> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8"></input> <input type="hidden" name="oe" value="UTF-8"></input> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#336699;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:336699;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:000000;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;FORID:1;"></input> <input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en"></input> </td></tr></table> </form>  <br> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </center> <br> </td> <td valign=top class=cssRightTd> <h1>Hexprobe Hex Editor 2.42 - User Guide and FAQ</h1> <font face=arial size=2> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/text_editors/hexprobe_hex_editor_screen.htm">Screenshots</a> - <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/web/text_editors/hexprobe_hex_editor.htm">More Details</a> <br><br> <table cellspacing=0 class=cssDownload> <tr><td valign=middle align=center class=cssDownTd> <a href="http://www.hexprobe.com/hexprobe/download/hprob220.exe"><img src="/images/download.gif" border=0 align=texttop> Download Site 1</a> <a href="http://www.hexprobe.com/hexprobe/download/hprob220.zip"><img src="/images/download.gif" border=0 align=texttop> Download Site 2</a> <a href="http://www.hexprobe.com/hexprobe/download.htm"><img src="/images/download.gif" border=0 align=texttop> Download Site 3</a> <a href="http://www.hexprobe.com/hexprobe/buynow.htm" target=_blank><img src="/images/buy.gif" border=0 align=texttop> Buy Now $34.95</a> </td></tr></table> <br> <b><font color=green size=4>What is a Hex Editor?</font></b><br><br> In modern computer system, a collection of related data or program records is normally kept in a named file. Thus, in the abstract, a file is merely a heap of the sized and ordered data that the computer could access. <br><br> A text file is a file that contains information expressed in text form whose contents are interpreted as printable characters (usually in the form of words and numbers), plus certain control characters (carriage return, tab, etc.). It can be viewed and edited using a "text editor" (see figure below). <br><br><img src="screen/hexprobe_hex_editor_2.gif"><br><br> A binary file is a file the bytes of which may contain any of the 256 different possible binary values. Generally, binary files can be edited only by the application in which they were created. An application has to know exactly how the data inside the files is laid out to make use of the file. There are many types of binary files. Executable files (.EXE, .DLL etc) are binary files. Database files and even word processor documents are normally binary files. <br><br> A hex editor is a type of computer program that allows a user to manipulate binary computer files. Using a hex editor a user can analyze or edit the raw and exact contents of a file as opposed to the interpretation of the same content that other, higher-level application software may associate with the file format. For example, this could be raw image data, in contrast to the way image-editing software would interpret the same file. Since a hex editor is used to edit binary files, it is sometimes called a binary editor or a binary file editor. <br><br> You need a hex editor for mainly two reasons: Analyzing file structure. You can't see the bytes stored in a file using a regular application to open it. You may need this knowledge to write an application that would interpret the contents of the file. <br><br> Editing file contents. This also needs to know exactly the file structure. If you don't know how watermarks are stored in a MPEG file, you could not do anything about them. <br><br> <br><br> <a href="hexprobe_hex_editor_screen.htm">Screenshots</a> - <a href="hexprobe_hex_editor.htm">More Details</a> <br><br> </font> </td> </tr></table> <table cellspacing=0 class=cssFooter> <tr><td align=center> <font face=arial> <small> <a href="http://www.qweas.com/search/">Search</a> - <a href="http://www.qweas.com/download/">Download</a> - <a href="http://www.qweas.com/store/">Store</a> - <a href="http://www.qweas.com/directory/">Directory</a> - <a href="http://www.qweas.com/service/">Service</a> - <a href="http://www.qweas.com/developer/">Developer Center</a> <br> © 2006 Qweas <a href="http://www.qweas.com">Home</a> - <a href="/privacy.htm">Privacy Policy</a> - <a href="/terms.htm">Terms of Use</a> - <a href="/sitemap.htm">Site Map</a> - <a href="/about.htm">About Qweas</a> </small></font> </td></tr></table> </center> </body> </html>