CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sql-server-cehexhexdumphex-editors
B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven
B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven

Reputation: 10227

How to decipher/interpret the contents of a file as shown in a Hex editor?

In connection with this question, I downloaded a Hex Editor to see just what values my SDF file contained in a certain location, which is supposed to tell me what version of SQL Server CE the SDF file was created with.

I got the following info:

SQLCE Version
2.0: 0x73616261
3.0: 0x002dd714
3.5: 0x00357b9d
4.0: 0x003d0900

...from this page. But I don't know what I'm looking at; I don't know if I'm looking in the wrong column or row, and I know that once I do know where I need to be looking, that data has to be converted to correspond with what is shown in the chart above.

Can somebody tell me how to decipher this raw data, and which column and row I should be focused on?

Here is what I see with one (older) file loaded:

enter image description here

...and here is what I see with a newer one:

enter image description here

If I select Search > Goto..., set Offset to 16, hex format, and from the beginning:

enter image description here

...it takes me just before the second "20" on row two. By choosing "Decimal" it takes me to the beginning of the second row; I reckon that's correct.

Upvotes: -1

Views: 638

Answers (2)

John James
John James

Reputation: 1

In the first diagram From the offset you need search Specifically,string or set the wizard to search for int, or other data type, then copy the right side which will highlight the numbers in the left hand column.

Now go to www.ascii.com/converter To the convert the code to text paste the copied code into blank space and hit return.

Upvotes: 0

ctacke
ctacke

Reputation: 67168

The data is stored little-endian. Both show 0x73616261, meaning both are SQL CE version 2.0 database files.

Upvotes: 1

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