PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Windows PCs & Software: Help, News & Discussion => Topic started by: daveeb on September 02, 2003, 15:21
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can't believe i'm bringing work home with me, but here goes. we have a small, number crunching program at work (in vbasic i think.) we want to modify it to receive data from a different port but dont know how to get to the code of the exe file. how do we do it or is this a really silly question. (clueless on programming stuff). :P
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Same here unfortunately Dave :(
Serenity was doing a course on it I think recently so she may be able to tell you failing that its a Sean,Lobo or Dack one to sort out I think :doggie:
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cheers sandra, btw what kept you, i make that nearly 5 minutes since i posted. ;) ;)
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Trying to sort Daz out with his display adaptor Dave ;D
I wil try and do better next time :-*
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Are you totally unable to get the source code for the VB program? It would make like so much easier for you 8)
It is not possible to decompile all programs, and data and code are difficult to separate, because both are represented similarly in most current computer systems. The meaningful names that programmers give variables and functions (to make them more easily identifiable) are not usually stored in an executable file, so they are not usually recovered in decompiling.
If the file is written in VB3 or earlier try using this: http://members.aol.com/vbdis/ (http://members.aol.com/vbdis/) - failing that, ask another techie ;)
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I agree with WhiteDevil's comments above. It is possible to decomplie a VB program, but you end up with program code which is almost impossible to work with :(
http://www.tek-tips.com/gfaqs.cfm/lev2/4/lev3/32/pid/222/fid/939
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thanks people, looks like i'll have to just carry on making the tea instead of a promotion to the boardroom. ;D
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If the file is written in VB3 or earlier try using this: http://members.aol.com/vbdis/ (http://members.aol.com/vbdis/) - failing that, ask another techie ;)
tried that link, but my german isnt too hot unfortunately :-[
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turns out this software is in TURBO basic not vbasic, i assume that the same comments that have been made will apply. all we want to do is a search/replace on all references to COM1 data input and replace it with COM2 data input.
::)
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Used Google web translator to translate into english, its a little dodgy but you should be able to get the gist:
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.aol.com
%2Fvbdis%2F+&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.aol.com%2Fvbdis%2F+&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools)
**Link edited to fit on page.
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Hi Dave the link called General Format takes you here which is in english,(although it may as well be in chinese for all the sense that it makes to me :o )
http://www.q1.net/~atari/text/doswin.txt
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Turbo Basic! Oh the memories that brings back :D Is it a DOS program then Dave?
I'd be very surprised if there are any decompilers for Borland Turbo Basic out there. I've done a quick Google and found nothing of interest :(
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Turbo Basic! Oh the memories that brings back :D Is it a DOS program then Dave?
I'd be very surprised if there are any decompilers for Borland Turbo Basic out there. I've done a quick Google and found nothing of interest :(
er yes i'm afraid its an ancient dos program. the annoying thing is we've done it before but no-one can remember how. anyway thanks peeps for all the input ;D
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Hi Dave the link called General Format takes you here which is in english,(although it may as well be in chinese for all the sense that it makes to me :o )
http://www.q1.net/~atari/text/doswin.txt
thanks sandra i think i'd struggle less with some well written mandarin than that but ta for the link. we'va all had a look and decided we know **** all about programming. :o
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does the program need to be kept the same, or can a new GUI be used? You could always try and find a C/C++ programmer to re-write the application, only finding one will be the problem 8)
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does the program need to be kept the same, or can a new GUI be used? You could always try and find a C/C++ programmer to re-write the application, only finding one will be the problem 8)
yup the program doesnt need changing at all apart from the port that the data arrives on. it currently can only work with data arriving on com1 which is acting up, we want it to look at com2. of course we could just load the software onto a different pc but we havent got a spare one. they're too strapped for cash to buy one and i think getting a programmer in would give the accountant a heart attack. :o
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If you don't mind me looking at it - I could probably change it for you.
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thanks for the offer dack, i'll see what they say, although they tend to be a bit anal*y retentive about official secrets etc, like there's anything to be gained from this crappy old program...NOT. :)
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No worries - if its as officialy secret as you say then there may still not be a problem ;) (I'm sure Sean would be able to tell you who I work for)
Usually a simple binary hex editor (FRHED is a good one) would be enough to search and replace the COM1 with COM2 messages. That is if they are stored in text format - if they are binary versions then you end up changing values to point to the correct address.
Alternatively I take it you've tried doing a "NAMEOFPROGRAM /?" in case the programmer left in a "which port to run on" function from the command line.
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i think getting a programmer in would give the accountant a heart attack.
im learning C++ now, if only i were a bit more advanced id write it for nothing...
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No worries - if its as officialy secret as you say then there may still not be a problem ;) (I'm sure Sean would be able to tell you who I work for)
If I tell him, do I get to kill him afterwards Dack? :lol: ;D ;D
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Only via alcohol poisoning ;)
BTW check your mail and try and explain the beard.
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@daveeb
Use this program eXeScope to modify the .exe file
http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA003525/Eindex.htm (http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA003525/Eindex.htm)
Do you want to customize an application ? For example,
Change font,
Change menu,
Change size or layout of dialog,
Change Icon,
etc.,
but do you think that it is impossible because you have not source files ?
eXeScope is a resource editor which can edit executable files directly.
It can analyze and rewrite resources of EXE, DLL, OCX, etc. without source
files. Almost all resources, that is, Menu, Dialog, String, MessageTable,
Icon, Cursor, Bitmap, Accelerator, VersionInfo, Delphi Form, WAVE, MIDI,
AVI, GIF, HTML, JPEG, ToolBar are supported.
Moreover, eXeScope can analyze and display exported/imported functions
and TypeLibrary in DLL, OCX, etc.
Brian ;D
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Brian, that program looks interesting, but it looks like it is written with Windows .exe programs in mind not DOS ones. Does it mention whether it will handle a DOS .exe file at all?
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as i told dack, we've temporarily solved the problem with a different pc that has a fully functioning com1 port, however its a very temporary measure so i might well resurrect this one again soon. thanks for all the interest and input chaps and chapesses. ;)
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Brian, that program looks interesting, but it looks like it is written with Windows .exe programs in mind not DOS ones. Does it mention whether it will handle a DOS .exe file at all?
Exescope is quite cute but only really allows the editing of resources for windows apps (though it does it very well - I've used it in conjuction with DeDe (a Delphi Disasembler)). A similar thing can 'almost' be achieved using Visual C++ :) as you can load executables and 'borrow' the resources from them using the default installation (and then edit the bin file to activate buttons etc. but I digress ;) ).
For anyone interested in rev-enging then do a google search for Fravia.