HackerTools - Revision history

TowigOs at 12:08, 8 August 2025

2025-08-08T12:08:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:08, 8 August 2025
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	----		----

	If you REALLY know what you are doing, you could also use Raihan Kibria's frhed (FRee Hex EDitor) found [~~http~~://~~www~~.~~kibria.de~~/frhed~~.html~~ here] ~~(237 kB plus source)~~. Unlike the above ~~two~~ examples, this editor is completely free.		If you REALLY know what you are doing, you could also use Raihan Kibria's frhed (FRee Hex EDitor) found [https://sourceforge.net/projects/frhed here]. Unlike the above examples, this editor is completely free and open source with sources available [https://github.com/datadiode/frhed here].

	----		----

MikeTheRed at 15:21, 12 September 2012

2012-09-12T15:21:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:21, 12 September 2012
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			<big>'''NOTE: A move has been made to delete this page and/or redirect it to [[Game_editors#Useful_Generic_File_Editors]] - see Talk page '''</big>


	Windows 95 and beyond offer a simple but effective text editor that can be used to hex edit binary files: [[MS-Edit]].		Windows 95 and beyond offer a simple but effective text editor that can be used to hex edit binary files: [[MS-Edit]].

Amitakartok at 21:03, 10 October 2009

2009-10-10T21:03:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:03, 10 October 2009
Line 19:		Line 19:

	----		----

			If you REALLY know what you are doing, you could also use Raihan Kibria's frhed (FRee Hex EDitor) found [http://www.kibria.de/frhed.html here] (237 kB plus source). Unlike the above two examples, this editor is completely free.

			----


	Return to [[Game_Files]]		Return to [[Game_Files]]

NKF: Removed duplicated MS-Edit instructions

2009-08-24T07:57:17Z

Removed duplicated MS-Edit instructions

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:57, 24 August 2009
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	Windows ~~comes with the~~ simple but effective ~~EDIT hex~~ editor~~. To use it:~~		Windows 95 and beyond offer a simple but effective text editor that can be used to hex edit binary files: [[MS-Edit]].

	* /Start /Run then enter EDIT
	* Point to the game file of interest. This DOS tool has some old conventions such as: clicking on the two periods (..) at the top of the Directory list moves you up one directory level. Use Help (F1) for more info. Once you've highlighted the file of interest,
	* Checkmark "Open Binary"
	* If you know the record length for your file of interest, enter it on "Line Width". For example, SOLDIER.DAT has record lengths of 68. This causes file entries to "line up" and makes patterns obvious.
	* If you're new to hacking, checkmark "Open Read-Only". This prevents you from making changes.


	~~Editing:~~
	* The "Col" and "Value" info along the bottom bar show you the current byte column you're in, and its value. Use this when comparing your file against e.g. the [[SOLDIER.DAT]] and [[UNITREF.DAT]] wiki entries.
	* Many folks talk about byte positions using <i>offsets</i> (starts at 0, and is indicated by [square brackets]) whereas EDIT does not (starts with column 1). If the values don't seem to be ~~jiving, try looking one column to the right (or left!).~~
	* <b>WARNING:</b> When you first start to edit, hit the Insert key <b>once</b> to get the big block cursor. This puts you in Overwrite mode instead of Insert mode (the small underline cursor). Be VERY CAREFUL about hitting the Insert key again. Insert mode is a Very Bad Thing<i>(tm)</i> for binary files. Inserting a byte moves every subsequent byte over by one, thus nuking position-based files (i.e., most XCOM files). If your game has gone south and you're SOL though, you might give it a shot... you never know what might happen!
	* Likewise, be VERY CAREFUL about hitting keys like Delete, Backspace, or Enter. All these (and more!) mess with positionality. If you ever see that records aren't lining up, Close without saving!!
	* To enter numeric values into a byte:
	** Hold down an Alt key (either one)
	** Using the NUMERIC KEYPAD (the numbers on right side of keyboard, not the ones along the top of keyboard), type in the number you want to enter. It doesn't matter if Numlock is on or off.
	** Let go of the Alt key. In the case where your computer doesn't have a numeric keypad such as a laptop, you must press the function (Fn) key along with ALT in order to enter these values.
	** The number will now be entered. However, for values less than 28, you have to go through special gyrations (these were "control characters" for DOS). First, hit Control-P (^P). Then:
	*** For 0, hit ^2 (don't ask why)
	*** For 1-26, hit ^A to ^Z. For example, ^A is 1, ^M is 13, ^Z is 26.
	*** For 27, hit ^[
	* A handy lookup table for numbers versus characters can be found as a .GIF [~~[Media:DOS_Chars_In_MsEdit.gif\|here~~]] ~~or the same thing in a .PDF [[Media:DOS_Chars_In_MsEdit.pdf\|here]]~~
	* If you see that your number makes a "regular" character (e.g. 65=A), you can also simply type in that character. However, the space character (number 32) looks just like a null character (number 0); don't use a space to mean zero!
	* Make a copy of the file if you're unsure of what you're doing. EDIT prompts you about making a .BAK backup file when you save edits, which is a nice convenience.


	~~Also:~~
	* Some savegame files store 'rubbish' in a field that's not being used. For example, not all soldier and alien names are 25 characters long (26 including the null byte, value 00, that shows where it ends). You'll usually find rubbish stored in the columns past the name end. It can be the remains of old (longer) names, or might even be e.g. random Windows crap that was in that position in RAM when the file was last in memory. Garbage characters may also show up in e.g. fields that an alien doesn't use (but soldiers do). Don't worry about them... if there's no reason for the game to use them, they're meaningless.
	* If you have a file open in EDIT, it is not locked by the system. You can keep the file open indefinitely even when the game is running and nothing strange will happen. Just make sure to save your changes so that they show up. In the case if the executable, it is always best to save and restart.

			----

	Another hex editor that some folks use is Hex Workshop by [http://www.bpsoft.com www.BPSoft.com]. Hex Workshop has the nice feature that you can make a 'structure library' with the meaning (field name) of each byte, turning the file into a little database. You will see some of these definitions (.HSLs) in the game file wikis. Hex Workshop is free for 30 days and then costs $50 if you want to keep using it. While it has a number of nice features, it does have some drawbacks. Examples: 1) Its display field can't be more than 64 characters wide (unlike EDIT), so you can't do a "one row equals one record" display for e.g. SOLDIER.DAT (reclength 68) or UNITREF.DAT (reclength 124). Related to this, 2) although it's a "modern" Windows app, you can't e.g. go to some tiny font and see a lot more in your data display window (even though you probably have 1600x1200 screen rez as a L33T gamer).		Another hex editor that some folks use is Hex Workshop by [http://www.bpsoft.com www.BPSoft.com]. Hex Workshop has the nice feature that you can make a 'structure library' with the meaning (field name) of each byte, turning the file into a little database. You will see some of these definitions (.HSLs) in the game file wikis. Hex Workshop is free for 30 days and then costs $50 if you want to keep using it. While it has a number of nice features, it does have some drawbacks. Examples: 1) Its display field can't be more than 64 characters wide (unlike EDIT), so you can't do a "one row equals one record" display for e.g. SOLDIER.DAT (reclength 68) or UNITREF.DAT (reclength 124). Related to this, 2) although it's a "modern" Windows app, you can't e.g. go to some tiny font and see a lot more in your data display window (even though you probably have 1600x1200 screen rez as a L33T gamer).

Sirgalahadwizard at 15:39, 11 March 2008

2008-03-11T15:39:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:39, 11 March 2008
Line 39:		Line 39:
	'''NOTE:''' To make screen captures, see [[Info#Screenshots\|this]].		'''NOTE:''' To make screen captures, see [[Info#Screenshots\|this]].


			----

			Another VERY useful hex editing program is the Universal Game Editor (UGE). It is a hex editor which displays numbers in digits instead of hex codes. It uses templates that can store variables found in the game files, so that they can be easily edited (including variables with 1, 2, or 4 bytes, or text entries).

			It can be found from a variety of locations using a search engine. The program is only about 400kb and is free to use (shareware with full capabilities, but has a reminder screen).

	----		----

	Return to [[Game_Files]]		Return to [[Game_Files]]

Zombie: Added a little about laptop function key and keeping files open in MS-Edit.

2007-11-03T05:18:04Z

Added a little about laptop function key and keeping files open in MS-Edit.

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:18, 3 November 2007
Line 16:		Line 16:
	** Hold down an Alt key (either one)		** Hold down an Alt key (either one)
	** Using the NUMERIC KEYPAD (the numbers on right side of keyboard, not the ones along the top of keyboard), type in the number you want to enter. It doesn't matter if Numlock is on or off.		** Using the NUMERIC KEYPAD (the numbers on right side of keyboard, not the ones along the top of keyboard), type in the number you want to enter. It doesn't matter if Numlock is on or off.
	** Let go of the Alt key		** Let go of the Alt key. In the case where your computer doesn't have a numeric keypad such as a laptop, you must press the function (Fn) key along with ALT in order to enter these values.
	** The number will now be entered. However, for values less than 28, you have to go through special gyrations (these were "control characters" for DOS). First, hit Control-P (^P). Then:		** The number will now be entered. However, for values less than 28, you have to go through special gyrations (these were "control characters" for DOS). First, hit Control-P (^P). Then:
	*** For 0, hit ^2 (don't ask why)		*** For 0, hit ^2 (don't ask why)
Line 28:		Line 28:
	Also:		Also:
	* Some savegame files store 'rubbish' in a field that's not being used. For example, not all soldier and alien names are 25 characters long (26 including the null byte, value 00, that shows where it ends). You'll usually find rubbish stored in the columns past the name end. It can be the remains of old (longer) names, or might even be e.g. random Windows crap that was in that position in RAM when the file was last in memory. Garbage characters may also show up in e.g. fields that an alien doesn't use (but soldiers do). Don't worry about them... if there's no reason for the game to use them, they're meaningless.		* Some savegame files store 'rubbish' in a field that's not being used. For example, not all soldier and alien names are 25 characters long (26 including the null byte, value 00, that shows where it ends). You'll usually find rubbish stored in the columns past the name end. It can be the remains of old (longer) names, or might even be e.g. random Windows crap that was in that position in RAM when the file was last in memory. Garbage characters may also show up in e.g. fields that an alien doesn't use (but soldiers do). Don't worry about them... if there's no reason for the game to use them, they're meaningless.
	* ~~Another <b>WARNING</b>:~~ If you have a file open in EDIT, it ~~may be LOCKED~~ by the system. ~~This means that other programs (like XCOM)~~ can~~'t write~~ to ~~it. XCOM won't necessarily complain!... but then you might end~~ up ~~with major weirdness~~. ~~Or maybe not. Anyway~~, ~~be sure to Close a file before XCOM might try~~ to ~~write to it~~.		* If you have a file open in EDIT, it is not locked by the system. You can keep the file open indefinitely even when the game is running and nothing strange will happen. Just make sure to save your changes so that they show up. In the case if the executable, it is always best to save and restart.

MikeTheRed: A few additions, plus the note on screencaps

2007-11-03T04:13:34Z

A few additions, plus the note on screencaps

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:13, 3 November 2007
Line 2:		Line 2:

	* /Start /Run then enter EDIT		* /Start /Run then enter EDIT
	* Point to the game file of interest. This DOS tool has some old conventions such as: clicking on the two periods (..) at the top of the Directory list moves you up one directory level. Use Help (F1) for more info.		* Point to the game file of interest. This DOS tool has some old conventions such as: clicking on the two periods (..) at the top of the Directory list moves you up one directory level. Use Help (F1) for more info. Once you've highlighted the file of interest,
	* Checkmark "Open Binary"		* Checkmark "Open Binary"
	* If you know the record length for your file of interest, enter it on "Line Width". For example, SOLDIER.DAT has record lengths of 68. This causes file entries to "line up" and makes patterns obvious.		* If you know the record length for your file of interest, enter it on "Line Width". For example, SOLDIER.DAT has record lengths of 68. This causes file entries to "line up" and makes patterns obvious.
Line 9:		Line 9:

	Editing:		Editing:
	* The "Col" and "Value" info along the bottom bar show you the current byte column you're in, and its value. Use this when comparing your file against e.g. the SOLDIER.DAT and UNITREF.DAT wiki entries.		* The "Col" and "Value" info along the bottom bar show you the current byte column you're in, and its value. Use this when comparing your file against e.g. the [[SOLDIER.DAT]] and [[UNITREF.DAT]] wiki entries.
	* Many folks talk about byte positions using <i>offsets</i> (starts at 0) whereas EDIT does not (starts with column 1)~~. Then again, it's not always clear whether someone is saying positions in terms of offsets~~. If the values ~~aren~~'t jiving ~~with what somebody's saying~~, try looking one column to the right (or left!).		* Many folks talk about byte positions using <i>offsets</i> (starts at 0, and is indicated by [square brackets]) whereas EDIT does not (starts with column 1). If the values don't seem to be jiving, try looking one column to the right (or left!).
	* <b>WARNING:</b> When you first start to edit, hit the Insert key <b>once</b> to get the big block cursor. This puts you in Overwrite mode instead of Insert mode (the small underline cursor). Be VERY CAREFUL about hitting the Insert key again. Insert mode is a Very Bad Thing<i>(tm)</i> for binary files. Inserting a byte moves every subsequent byte over by one, thus nuking position-based files (i.e., most XCOM files). If your game has gone south and you're SOL though, you might give it a shot... you never know what might happen!		* <b>WARNING:</b> When you first start to edit, hit the Insert key <b>once</b> to get the big block cursor. This puts you in Overwrite mode instead of Insert mode (the small underline cursor). Be VERY CAREFUL about hitting the Insert key again. Insert mode is a Very Bad Thing<i>(tm)</i> for binary files. Inserting a byte moves every subsequent byte over by one, thus nuking position-based files (i.e., most XCOM files). If your game has gone south and you're SOL though, you might give it a shot... you never know what might happen!
	* Likewise, be VERY CAREFUL about hitting keys like Delete, Backspace, or Enter. All these (and more!) mess with positionality. If you ever see that records aren't lining up, Close without saving!!		* Likewise, be VERY CAREFUL about hitting keys like Delete, Backspace, or Enter. All these (and more!) mess with positionality. If you ever see that records aren't lining up, Close without saving!!
Line 34:		Line 34:


	If you're on a budget, EDIT is a fine little tool. I ~~use it more often than~~ Hex Workshop ~~even though I have both~~.		If you're on a budget, EDIT is a fine little tool. I, for one, once used Hex Workshop, but now exclusively use EDIT.


	~~<b>~~Return to [[~~Under_The_Hood\|Under The Hood~~]]~~</b>~~		'''NOTE:''' To make screen captures, see [[Info#Screenshots\|this]].


			----

			Return to [[Game_Files]]

MikeTheRed: Added an EDIT lookup reference

2006-09-11T21:53:16Z

Added an EDIT lookup reference

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:53, 11 September 2006
Line 21:		Line 21:
	*** For 1-26, hit ^A to ^Z. For example, ^A is 1, ^M is 13, ^Z is 26.		*** For 1-26, hit ^A to ^Z. For example, ^A is 1, ^M is 13, ^Z is 26.
	*** For 27, hit ^[		*** For 27, hit ^[
			* A handy lookup table for numbers versus characters can be found as a .GIF [[Media:DOS_Chars_In_MsEdit.gif\|here]] or the same thing in a .PDF [[Media:DOS_Chars_In_MsEdit.pdf\|here]]
	* If you see that your number makes a "regular" character (e.g. 65=A), you can also simply type in that character. However, the space character (number 32) looks just like a null character (number 0); don't use a space to mean zero!		* If you see that your number makes a "regular" character (e.g. 65=A), you can also simply type in that character. However, the space character (number 32) looks just like a null character (number 0); don't use a space to mean zero!
	* Make a copy of the file if you're unsure of what you're doing. EDIT prompts you about making a .BAK backup file when you save edits, which is a nice convenience.		* Make a copy of the file if you're unsure of what you're doing. EDIT prompts you about making a .BAK backup file when you save edits, which is a nice convenience.

MikeTheRed at 02:59, 4 November 2005

2005-11-04T02:59:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:59, 4 November 2005
Line 21:		Line 21:
	*** For 1-26, hit ^A to ^Z. For example, ^A is 1, ^M is 13, ^Z is 26.		*** For 1-26, hit ^A to ^Z. For example, ^A is 1, ^M is 13, ^Z is 26.
	*** For 27, hit ^[		*** For 27, hit ^[
			* If you see that your number makes a "regular" character (e.g. 65=A), you can also simply type in that character. However, the space character (number 32) looks just like a null character (number 0); don't use a space to mean zero!
	* Make a copy of the file if you're unsure of what you're doing. EDIT prompts you about making a .BAK backup file when you save edits, which is a nice convenience.		* Make a copy of the file if you're unsure of what you're doing. EDIT prompts you about making a .BAK backup file when you save edits, which is a nice convenience.

MikeTheRed: added link back

2005-10-05T18:00:09Z

added link back

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:00, 5 October 2005
Line 31:		Line 31:
	Another hex editor that some folks use is Hex Workshop by [http://www.bpsoft.com www.BPSoft.com]. Hex Workshop has the nice feature that you can make a 'structure library' with the meaning (field name) of each byte, turning the file into a little database. You will see some of these definitions (.HSLs) in the game file wikis. Hex Workshop is free for 30 days and then costs $50 if you want to keep using it. While it has a number of nice features, it does have some drawbacks. Examples: 1) Its display field can't be more than 64 characters wide (unlike EDIT), so you can't do a "one row equals one record" display for e.g. SOLDIER.DAT (reclength 68) or UNITREF.DAT (reclength 124). Related to this, 2) although it's a "modern" Windows app, you can't e.g. go to some tiny font and see a lot more in your data display window (even though you probably have 1600x1200 screen rez as a L33T gamer).		Another hex editor that some folks use is Hex Workshop by [http://www.bpsoft.com www.BPSoft.com]. Hex Workshop has the nice feature that you can make a 'structure library' with the meaning (field name) of each byte, turning the file into a little database. You will see some of these definitions (.HSLs) in the game file wikis. Hex Workshop is free for 30 days and then costs $50 if you want to keep using it. While it has a number of nice features, it does have some drawbacks. Examples: 1) Its display field can't be more than 64 characters wide (unlike EDIT), so you can't do a "one row equals one record" display for e.g. SOLDIER.DAT (reclength 68) or UNITREF.DAT (reclength 124). Related to this, 2) although it's a "modern" Windows app, you can't e.g. go to some tiny font and see a lot more in your data display window (even though you probably have 1600x1200 screen rez as a L33T gamer).

	If you're on a budget, EDIT is a fine little tool.
			If you're on a budget, EDIT is a fine little tool. I use it more often than Hex Workshop even though I have both.


			<b>Return to [[Under_The_Hood\|Under The Hood]]</b>