HEX editors 1

[campyracr]

I am compiling a review of data recovery tools and I continually see Hex editors as a feature or stand alone product.

I understand what HEX editors can do, I just don't see a need for that capability. Perhaps I am not looking at this the right way. Can someone enlighten me?

 

[TrojanWarBlade]

Yep, it's simple.
When you're analysing data you cannot tell what characters you are looking at when they are "unprintable" such as control codes. They are usually all displayed as spaces or periods.
The hex display allows you to see what the blank characters actually are (e.g. cr / lf / vt / ht etc.).


Trojan.

 

[campyracr]

So, drive is corrupt via either hardware failure or say OS failure. I can use such a tool to open a file from the corrput drive and view it/make changes/fix it?

 

[TrojanWarBlade]

Depends upon the tool but in some cases, yes.
But when you read the drive, you wont just read a file, you will have to understand and decipher the file system structure.


Trojan.

 

[campyracr]

OK. I get it.

thanks