Changing A File Extension

It turns out, there is way to do what CybertecOne was asking. Under *NIX, just type file filename. Yes, there is a command called file. I know it's a bad name for the command, but I didn't write it. Under Windows you have two choices:
1. Download the zip file attached below. It contains a Windows port of the file command. No, it's not a virus. No, I don't have the source code. And no, I don't know where I got it from. Download it or not, it's your choice.
2. Download filealyzer from PepiMK software (the same guy(s) that make(s) Spybot S&D). Use this link to get there: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/f...zer/index.html

Cheers,
cgkanchi

PS: Forgive the smart-ass nature of this post, I'm just having a bad day.

Hey Hey,


Since cgkanchi forgot to add the download link at the end of his post.. Here's the page you can grab the file from -- http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/file.htm. Check out more of the gnuwin32 files if you are interested in *nix software ported to Windows.. it's often quite handy to have around.

Peace,
HT

hey, i wasnt asking, just trying to decypher what the original post was..... but thanks anyways... seems like a useful tool.

Quote:

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in otherwords, if i change matrix.zip to matrix.mpg - obviously windows media player wont open it,

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Otoh if i change matrix.mpg to matrix.zip, then drop it to wmp, it will open it. Yes, it will complain for the first time for the unusual extension, but if i tell it that it's ok, it will happily open the .zip file, detect that it is actually an .mpg file, then treat it as one. You guys should know better than me about this... :)

Peace always,
<jdenny>

thats because its not really a zip file and is INDEED an mpg file......

furthermore,

that is the only way i thought possible of trying to work out what type of file it is... (that is of course without looking at the hex etc) was to trial and error the file into the right program, which is why that tool that cgkanchi submitted looks interesting ...

Any ZIP file start with the letters PK (just open in notepad or better yet a hex-editor)

PK stands for Phil Katz, the origional "inventor" of the PKZIP algorithm..

I don't know about other file extensions but I changed .dat extension(VCD format ) to .mpg and voila i can still watch the movie but when i changed it to .123 and then burned it on CD as data and after copying back to comp changed it back to .dat ,..... it was corrupt and invalid data format even with .dat ext.

phew.... it accidentaly happened (in second case) but it did corrupted file.

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Originally posted here by rider_royal
I don't know about other file extensions but I changed .dat extension(VCD format ) to .mpg and voila i can still watch the movie

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I never got it why the VCD/SVCD formats convert to .dat, because the files are and will always remain MPGs. Probably some backward compatibility thing? Anyway in your case I believe the burning software might've 'tweaked' your file for a bit if the extension was recognized in some way. You could do more trial and error starting out from .txt renamed to .exe or something.. The other way aswell... and see what you get.

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It turns out, there is way to do what CybertecOne was asking. Under *NIX, just type file filename. Yes, there is a command called file. I know it's a bad name for the command, but I didn't write it.

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Someone should port it to windows.
I use it all the time, especially with some of them mp3 download sites, they rename mp3s or zips to anything from .xls to .doc to .whatever.

A quick 'file' and a renaming and i am happy