Need to know a file

[user]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I have heard this before that the way a pc recognizes a certain type of
file, it gets the information from the "header" of the file.

For example, if I change an extension of a movie file to .jpg, the pc would
try to open it in a program designed to open pictures.

Also there is a program that hides a document or a text within a picture,
and when you would view the file it would be a picture, but if you open the
file in that program and key in a code, you can see your document.

My question is this.
How would I find out what the file actually is, not from within windows
explorer, because if it has a .jpg extension and it is in reality a movie or
audio file, the PC would open it with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer and
state that it is not a picture, and vice versa.

What program show what the file actually is?

Thanks for any help


Gino

 

[GTS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Your first sentence contradicts the second. In any case, Windows (and it's
DOS predecessor) uses the extension to associate programs with file types.
(Some other operating systems examine initial bytes in a file header.)

The process of hiding information inside a file is called steganography.
This is generally used for criminal purposes or other types of secured
communications to encapsulate encrypted data. You might find software
somewhere to do this, but there's certainly no standard.

I'm not aware of any particular program that will analyze the binary content
of a file to tell you it's type the way you suggest, though there could be
something out there. With sufficient technical knowledge, it is often
possible to do this (up to a point) by examining the file in a hex editor or
viewer. Exe files, for example, start with MZ as the first two bytes and
other values at specific offsets from the start of the file can identify
further detail about the type of executable.
--

" - 781" <lets@have.org> wrote in message
news:%23klaF5poFHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>I have heard this before that the way a pc recognizes a certain type of
>file, it gets the information from the "header" of the file.
>
> For example, if I change an extension of a movie file to .jpg, the pc
> would try to open it in a program designed to open pictures.
>
> Also there is a program that hides a document or a text within a picture,
> and when you would view the file it would be a picture, but if you open
> the file in that program and key in a code, you can see your document.
>
> My question is this.
> How would I find out what the file actually is, not from within windows
> explorer, because if it has a .jpg extension and it is in reality a movie
> or audio file, the PC would open it with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer
> and state that it is not a picture, and vice versa.
>
> What program show what the file actually is?
>
> Thanks for any help
>
>
> Gino
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

If it's just one or a few files, try opening the file in Notepad and
examining the first few letters as GTS suggests. Perhaps it will be
something obvious. If not post back with what the initial letters are and
maybe someone will recognize it.

"GTS" <x> wrote in message news:%23KOwtEqoFHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Your first sentence contradicts the second. In any case, Windows (and
> it's DOS predecessor) uses the extension to associate programs with file
> types. (Some other operating systems examine initial bytes in a file
> header.)
>
> The process of hiding information inside a file is called steganography.
> This is generally used for criminal purposes or other types of secured
> communications to encapsulate encrypted data. You might find software
> somewhere to do this, but there's certainly no standard.
>
> I'm not aware of any particular program that will analyze the binary
> content of a file to tell you it's type the way you suggest, though there
> could be something out there. With sufficient technical knowledge, it is
> often possible to do this (up to a point) by examining the file in a hex
> editor or viewer. Exe files, for example, start with MZ as the first two
> bytes and other values at specific offsets from the start of the file can
> identify further detail about the type of executable.
> --
>
> " - 781" <lets@have.org> wrote in message
> news:%23klaF5poFHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>I have heard this before that the way a pc recognizes a certain type of
>>file, it gets the information from the "header" of the file.
>>
>> For example, if I change an extension of a movie file to .jpg, the pc
>> would try to open it in a program designed to open pictures.
>>
>> Also there is a program that hides a document or a text within a picture,
>> and when you would view the file it would be a picture, but if you open
>> the file in that program and key in a code, you can see your document.
>>
>> My question is this.
>> How would I find out what the file actually is, not from within windows
>> explorer, because if it has a .jpg extension and it is in reality a movie
>> or audio file, the PC would open it with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer
>> and state that it is not a picture, and vice versa.
>>
>> What program show what the file actually is?
>>
>> Thanks for any help
>>
>>
>> Gino
>>
>
>

 

[user]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Sorry for making this confusing.
I have a certain number of files, texts, jpgs, avis, etc that have been
given the same name, and the same extension(.jpg). Windows Media won't open
certain files, Windows Picture Preview won't open others, Notepad just shows
garbage.
How would I know if a file is what the extension says it should be?
Is there a program, that shows what the file is regardless of the extension?
For example, there is a program called G Spot which show the type of a movie
file regardless if the extension show .jpg or .txt.
Thanks
Gino


"Code-Curious Mom" <none@NG.invalid> wrote in message
news:%23WJxr4xoFHA.2156@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> If it's just one or a few files, try opening the file in Notepad and
> examining the first few letters as GTS suggests. Perhaps it will be
> something obvious. If not post back with what the initial letters are and
> maybe someone will recognize it.
>
> "GTS" <x> wrote in message news:%23KOwtEqoFHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> Your first sentence contradicts the second. In any case, Windows (and
>> it's DOS predecessor) uses the extension to associate programs with file
>> types. (Some other operating systems examine initial bytes in a file
>> header.)
>>
>> The process of hiding information inside a file is called steganography.
>> This is generally used for criminal purposes or other types of secured
>> communications to encapsulate encrypted data. You might find software
>> somewhere to do this, but there's certainly no standard.
>>
>> I'm not aware of any particular program that will analyze the binary
>> content of a file to tell you it's type the way you suggest, though there
>> could be something out there. With sufficient technical knowledge, it is
>> often possible to do this (up to a point) by examining the file in a hex
>> editor or viewer. Exe files, for example, start with MZ as the first two
>> bytes and other values at specific offsets from the start of the file can
>> identify further detail about the type of executable.
>> --
>>
>> " - 781" <lets@have.org> wrote in message
>> news:%23klaF5poFHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>I have heard this before that the way a pc recognizes a certain type of
>>>file, it gets the information from the "header" of the file.
>>>
>>> For example, if I change an extension of a movie file to .jpg, the pc
>>> would try to open it in a program designed to open pictures.
>>>
>>> Also there is a program that hides a document or a text within a
>>> picture, and when you would view the file it would be a picture, but if
>>> you open the file in that program and key in a code, you can see your
>>> document.
>>>
>>> My question is this.
>>> How would I find out what the file actually is, not from within windows
>>> explorer, because if it has a .jpg extension and it is in reality a
>>> movie or audio file, the PC would open it with Windows Picture and Fax
>>> Viewer and state that it is not a picture, and vice versa.
>>>
>>> What program show what the file actually is?
>>>
>>> Thanks for any help
>>>
>>>
>>> Gino
>>>
>>
>>
>
>