How Do You Edit A .exe? - Printable Version
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How Do You Edit A .exe? by .Roy on 08-28-2006 at 12:39 PM
Lets say i have an .exe that does something every 60 seconds or so and it clicks "K"
How can i edit the program tro make it evey 30 seconds and click B.
this is just for an example.
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by Eddie on 08-28-2006 at 12:45 PM
I think you have to get hold of the source code, but im not 100% sure.
Waits for smart person to reply
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by Matti on 08-28-2006 at 12:48 PM
An EXE is a compiled program. If you don't have the source code of it, there's really no way you can modify it. If there would be a way, we wouldn't have to make Plus! hook into Messenger but simply add its source to Messenger's... 
Also, it would make programs very vulnerable for malicious programs. Think about a script which changes a virus scanner's code to make it install virusses instead of preventing you from them. 
The best way to make your idea is by developing such program by yourself, or asking for the code from the original creator.
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by .Roy on 08-28-2006 at 01:03 PM
I get it 
lol...
Too bad... Theres this program that clicks i every couple of seconds and i need it to click q
dam...
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by matty on 08-28-2006 at 01:19 PM
quote:That could be made using the Windows API
Originally posted by .Roy
I get it
Too bad... Theres this program that clicks i every couple of seconds and i need it to click q
dam...
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by segosa on 08-28-2006 at 02:13 PM
You could reverse engineer it. What you want to do sounds pretty easy actually.
Use a disassembler like OllyDbg to do it. You need to know ASM though. If you don't, post the app here so maybe one of us can try.
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by ShawnZ on 08-28-2006 at 02:27 PM
quote:messpatch? apatch?
Originally posted by Mattike
An EXE is a compiled program. If you don't have the source code of it, there's really no way you can modify it. If there would be a way, we wouldn't have to make Plus! hook into Messenger but simply add its source to Messenger's...
quote:why do you think virus scanners set up protection to prevent them from being modified...
Also, it would make programs very vulnerable for malicious programs. Think about a script which changes a virus scanner's code to make it install virusses instead of preventing you from them.
quote:agreed. reverse engineering is useful if you want to modify one portion of a large application, but changing most of a very small program is just useless.
The best way to make your idea is by developing such program by yourself, or asking for the code from the original creator.
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by Matti on 08-28-2006 at 03:01 PM
quote:Good try, but those use Resource Hacker which can change hexadecimal codes. They can't add new features, like a new menu, in it, but only modify the images and UIFILES. And when you now gonna tell me Aero MSN can add menu's, that's a modified background popup menu. Ever wondered why there wasn't the "Choose background" menu but instead the dialog box when you clicked the Backgrounds button? The same way they changed other menu's to 'create' their own. No new features, but patches.
Originally posted by ShawnZ
messpatch? apatch?
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by Lou on 08-28-2006 at 03:05 PM
quote:Messpatch has a feature to add a new image inside the conversation window, so you can instantly go to your recieved files.
Originally posted by Mattike
They can't add new features, like a new menu, in it, but only modify the images and UIFILES.
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by RaceProUK on 08-28-2006 at 03:17 PM
quote:You can hook API calls, which allows you to add all sorts of stuff. Hooking API calls involves patching the EXE's Import Address Table, either on the disk or in memory.
Originally posted by Mattike
If you don't have the source code of it, there's really no way you can modify it.
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by Matti on 08-28-2006 at 03:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by .Lou
Messpatch has a feature to add a new image inside the conversation window, so you can instantly go to your recieved files.
quote:Damn... then how can I explain that .exe's can't be changed as you can change .js's or .htm's?
Originally posted by RaceProUK
You can hook API calls, which allows you to add all sorts of stuff. Hooking API calls involves patching the EXE's Import Address Table, either on the disk or in memory.
* Matti gives up...
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by RaceProUK on 08-28-2006 at 03:32 PM
You can't ![[Image: msn_tongue.gif]](http://shoutbox.menthix.net/images/smilies/msn_tongue.gif)
After all, EXEs are files, like anything else.
RE: RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by Supersonicdarky on 08-28-2006 at 04:33 PM
quote:exe are compiled, js and html are just a txt with a different extention
Originally posted by Mattike
then how can I explain that .exe's can't be changed as you can change .js's or .htm's?
* Mattike gives up...
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by ShawnZ on 09-04-2006 at 06:03 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Mattike
Good try, but those use Resource Hacker which can change hexadecimal codes. They can't add new features, like a new menu, in it, but only modify the images and UIFILES.
oh yeah?
![[Image: screenshot.gif]](http://www.portablefreeware.com/graphics/ollydbg/screenshot.gif)
[/late reply]
RE: RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by CookieRevised on 09-04-2006 at 06:45 PM
quote:It works because there is already support for that within the program. The image existed as a resource and the command to go to your recieved files already exists. All the patch does is re-arranging what is seen. It doesn't add anything new. What Mattike means are adding new features.
Originally posted by .Lou
quote:Messpatch has a feature to add a new image inside the conversation window, so you can instantly go to your recieved files.
Originally posted by Mattike
They can't add new features, like a new menu, in it, but only modify the images and UIFILES.
quote:Instead of replying with a 2 word line, explain what you mean (I know this, but other people might not).
Originally posted by ShawnZ
quote:
Originally posted by Mattike
Good try, but those use Resource Hacker which can change hexadecimal codes. They can't add new features, like a new menu, in it, but only modify the images and UIFILES.
oh yeah?
[/late reply]
And what Mattike obviously means is that you can not add new features to a program just like that (and certainly not with program such as resource hacker as he mentioned in the quote, but which you apparently conveniently missed).
You can modify stuff (and thus "creating" a "new" feature out of it), but it is as good as impossible to add true new features (eg: add a custom name feature like in WLM to MSN Messenger).
All you can do is altering what already exists.
This said, we all know there are ways of adding stuff to programs (this is what virusses do for example), but in the context of this thread and for the purpose of explaning the differences, it is not possible.
Again, in the quote you replied upon, Mattike also mentionned Resource hacker, which is nothing more than an editor/compiler for resources. With that, as you know, you can do even less and only change stuff like menu names, some layouts, etc. In short stuff which is already supported and/or used within the program. He is dead-on correct in what he said.
All this said, what the top poster wants is altering a routine which already exists in the program's code. He doesn't want anything new, just some values changed. This can perfectly be done by disassembling and patching as Segosa already suggested. In that context Mattike was not correct.
Even RaceProUK's reply isn't complete if you want to be technical, as there are more ways of hooking APIs and/or letting a program do something which it wasn't designed to do.
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I post all this because with an (pardon my french: stupid) "oh yeah" nobody will ever be helped at all. A more detailed explanation is in place here.
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EDIT:
quote:...what I said in paragraph 5 and 7 of this post....
Originally posted by ShawnZ
You can add a feature, but depending on the feature it'll usually be incredibly hard...
Anyways, at least that new reply of yours is far more helpfull than "oh really"...
quote:which is exactly what you said "depending on the feature it'll usually be incredibly hard..."
Originally posted by ShawnZ
in paragraph 5 and 7, you just came to the conclusion that it wasn't reasonably possible
... are we starting this again? The point is that instead of trying to make witty comments, why don't you actually post a helpfull post as in posting more than just stuff like "oh really", but more stuff like those last replies.
RE: How Do You Edit A .exe? by ShawnZ on 09-04-2006 at 07:25 PM
quote:
Originally posted by CookieRevised
...what I said in paragraph 5 and 7 of this post....
in paragraph 5 and 7, you just came to the conclusion that it wasn't reasonably possible
with basic knowledge of assembler and the structure of compiled C++ programs in windows, it isn't exactly impossible to add functionality to a part of a program, you could even compile compile c++ code and add a button or menu to execute it if you were skilled enough.