With help Resource Tuner you can open executable files such as .EXE, .DLL, .OCX, screensavers (.SCR) and many others. By opening the file, you gain access to the file's resources and can replace icons, cursors and graphics in various formats, change lines in menus, dialog boxes and other user interface elements.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that the resources in the executable file are separate from the program code, and by changing the program interface, you do not gain access to the program code. Using the resource editor, you can change program controls. The program code cannot be changed using the resource editor.

For more serious changes (which, however, will not lead to anything good without sufficient experience in programming applications for Windows), we recommend using PE Explorer (PE file structure editor) or FlexHex (hex editor for binary files).

Opening an EXE or DLL file in Resource Tuner

Supports multiple ways to open files. To open a file for viewing and editing, click the button Open File on the toolbar or select the command File > Open from the menu. The drop-down menu next to the button on the toolbar gives you fast access to the list of recently opened files. The same list can be obtained with the command File > Recent Files from the program menu. The number of files in the list is configured in the dialog Customize.

You can also open the file using Resource Tuner directly from Windows Explorer by right-clicking on the file and selecting Open with Resource Tuner from the context menu.

Or you can simply drag and drop the file icon from Windows Explorer onto the Resource Tuner icon on the desktop or onto the window of the running Resource Tuner.

You can also open the file from the command line.
For example: restuner.exe filename.exe

When opening a file, Resource Tuner performs several automatic operations: it unpacks the file if it detects that it was packed using UPX, then it checks the file structure and resources for possible mistakes, and finally rebuilding the damaged resources in accordance with the executable file format specification.

Errors when opening a file

If an error occurs when opening a file, it is most likely for three reasons: the file is protected, the file is 16-bit, or it is not an executable file at all.

1. Error: The file is damaged, compressed by a packer or protected by a protector.

There is a good chance that the file has been compressed to reduce its size. There are dozens of packers and protectors for executable files, and new ones appear all the time. Resource Tuner supports unpacking of only one, but the most common packer - UPX. Other packers are not supported, and you will have to unpack the file yourself before you can open the file for viewing or editing.

This situation is not considered a program error. We are not going to fight the attempts of other program authors to protect their creations from hacking, nor support the unpacking of several dozen different packagers, including both commercial products and homemade products.

2. Error: The file is defined as 16-bit NE Executable. This format is not supported!

Our programs only work with 32- and 64-bit PE files. The NE format (short for "New Executable") is a 16-bit application format left over from older versions of Windows 3.xx. WITH the advent of Windows 95 this format is considered obsolete and is not used, although it can be executed on modern platforms from Microsoft. We do not support 16-bit files and do not intend to support them.

3. Error: The file is not EXE or DLL file. At all!

Resource Tuner does not detect a file by extension. If you rename the extension of an executable file, say, correct .EXE to .TXT, or remove the extension altogether, Resource Tuner will not be fooled by this: when opening a file, the program analyzes the file header inside the file, and does not look at the extension at all.

Therefore, if Resource Tuner tells you that the file is not executable, then it is so. If someone supplied for some reason text file If the game is delivered with the extension .DLL, then the file does not cease to be text and does not become a dynamic library. Don't be fooled by the file extension.

Which files do not make sense to open in the resource editor?

Although Resource Tuner is designed to open and edit any 32/64-bit executable files, there are some EXE types files in which there are practically no resources.

1. Files created using Visual Basic.

In such files, there is nothing in the resources section except an icon and version information. Lines and dialogue in programs written in Visual BASIC are stored in their own proprietary format, and they do not use the standard resource section.

2. EXE files of gigabytes or more in size.

Since Resource Tuner is a 32-bit program, there are natural restrictions on placing the image of the file being opened in virtual memory within the first gigabyte. A file of a gigabyte or more simply will not fit there.

3. Self-extracting archives in the form of EXE files.

In such files, there is nothing in the resources except an icon and version information, and maybe even that. Essentially, this is archived data equipped with a subroutine for unpacking.

4. Installers of other programs.

In such files, there is nothing in the resources except an icon and version information. Very similar to point 3. An installer file can be thought of as a container that contains another .EXE file in compressed form and a subroutine for extracting it. In addition, programs for creating installers use different algorithms to store archived data within themselves.

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Resource Tuner runs on all versions of Windows
from 2000 and XP to 8 and 10.

Minimum system requirements:
Intel Pentium® or AMD K5 166 MHz processor
16 MB RAM

CUP386 3.4

Well-known hacker unpacker for DOS COM/EXE-packed or protected files by Sage/CyberWare (UCF). Allows you to unpack programs compressed/encrypted even with unknown or new utilities. Works through command line and has many parameters (read possibilities). The program has several hacking modes: step-by-step real-mode, step-by-step V86 and real-mode i80386 emulation. Depending on the mode, CUP386 uses various debugging methods, bypasses anti-debug code, etc. By the way, the program also has a built-in visual debugger like Turbo Debugger for “manual” hacking. Personally, I found the “I’m still alive” option original, which makes the LED indicators on the keyboard blink during unpacking, indicating that the program has not yet frozen.

ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack/ucfcup34.zip (60 Kb)

DeShrink 1.6

The most advanced Windows utility designed to “unpack” EXE/DLL files compressed by the popular EXE packer Shrinker (up to version 3.4). DeShrink has a graphical interface that allows you to easily specify the path and names of the input/output files, view the EXE header, and even remove encryption from individual sections using a brute force method.

The program can be downloaded from the website ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack/dshrnk16.zip (190 Kb)

ExeScan 3.21

This DOS utility by STILLSON is designed to identify packers and attachments (quite a lot) that protected EXE or COM files. In addition, ExeScan allows you to recognize the most common compilers.

The program (or rather, its two modules) can work in several modes: in simple (“dumb” definition), in deepscan (attempts to detect multi-layer protection/compression, for example, when an EXE file is compressed with PKLite and protected by the CrackStop program) and in generic mode detection (intercepting Int 21h, executing the file under investigation and trying to determine the code).

ExeScan also allows you to view and compare header information of two different executable files, has a built-in disassembler (there are functions for showing input points, etc.), and can work in conjunction with a universal unpacker.

ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack/es321.zip (70 Kb)

File Analyzer 1.6.x

File Analyzer - this program is capable of determining how a file is compiled, how it is packaged, encoded, immunized, etc. File Analyzer can also show the insides of archives and SFX archives (RAR, ARJ, ZIP, LZH, LHA, ICE, ZOO, SWG, DWC, SQZ, HYP, ACE, CAB, PAC, Stirling), provide information about various graphic files ( GIF /JPG /PCX/BMP/ICO/IFF) - resolution, number of colors, etc. Understands the following EXE formats: MZ/NE/LE/LX/LE/W3/P2/P3/DL/MP.
File Analyzer is capable of showing data from NE/LE/LX/PE object tables. There is support for external plugins, a built-in compiler of its own database, created to increase productivity. In the database you can use macro commands like "J1J1" - this means the assembler command JMP/JMPS/CALL etc, i.e. It is possible to analyze files with various transitions...

The program takes up little disk space and comes with good documentation in Russian and English.

The program can be downloaded from the website http://www.world.lv/vnet (135 Kb)

FileInfo 2.49

A fresh utility from M.Hering, designed to determine the packers and protections (including the newest ones) that were used to “process” executable files. In addition, FileInfo allows you to recognize the “work” of the most common compilers and SFX-EXE archive formats.

The program can work in the mode of displaying brief information about files in the directory(s) or in the display mode detailed information about a specific file. There is a built-in HEX/TXT viewer (with the ability to quickly navigate to addresses, search, filter), an editor for MZ/PE headers and checksums, and an original graphic byte analyzer.

Supports long file names under Win9x.

The latest version has added and improved support for defining two dozen protection/packer formats, including UPX, tELock, reduced memory consumption, and made other improvements...

The program can be downloaded from the website http://www.programmerstools.org/files/utilities/fi.zip (155 Kb)

NED 2.31 (New Executable files Deshrinker)

A command line utility by Snajder that allows you to unpack executable NE files (NE-Visual Basic 3.0) compressed with the Shrinker utility versions 3.xx.

The program can be downloaded from the website http://www.programmerstools.com/files/unpackers/ned.zip (8 Kb)

Petite 2.x Enlarger 1.3

A simple Windows utility by r!sc that allows you to unpack EXE/DLL files compressed with the Petite packer versions 2.1/2.2.

IN new version The command line handler was rewritten (sometimes files did not open under NT).

PE-UnCompact 1.5

A small Windows utility by tNO allows you to unpack EXE, DLL, SCR and OCX (?) files compressed with the popular PECompact packer versions 1.24-1.30. Compression is not performed if the selected file is not PECompact-compressed. When unpacking, the program restores the file extension, import tables, sections, and “aligns” the code.

The new version adds support for PECompact 1.30 and makes internal changes.

The program can be downloaded from the website http://pleiku.vietmedia.com/protools/files/unpackers/tnopeunc.zip (15 Kb)

PMWUnLite 1.30

A small utility designed for unpacking protected mode executable files (DOS/4GW type) compressed with the PMWLite utility from the PMODE/W suite.

The program can be downloaded from the website http://www.suddendischarge.com/cgi-bin/antileech.cgi?pmwun130.zip (38 Kb)

TEU 1.8x (The Executables" Unpacker)

Universal unpacker of packed or protected executable files by JVP. TEU recognizes programs produced by the most common compilers and allows you to unpack files if they have been protected/compressed by unknown or new utilities. In addition to these tools, TEU has several original hacking modes, even marked with a TM icon: DirectY and PassiveX. However, due to the lack of documentation, I can’t say anything definite about them.

The utility works from the command line and has an n number of parameters, which, as usual, do not have to be used. I would also like to note that TEU can work in conjunction with the utility.

The program comes in two versions: in English (the letter "e" at the end of the version) and German ("d").

The program can be downloaded from the website http://members.xoom.com/jvp/ (40 Kb)

TRON 1.30

Another universal unpacker for packed or protected executable files by Smilesoft Company. Knows about two dozen programs (from ComPack to Protect EXE/COM and WWPack), not counting their many subversions. The utility may traditionally try to unpack files compressed/protected by unknown or new programs. True, to do this you must first register and pay $25 for the program... When hacked, TRON can optionally work in a special mode of “rejecting” interrupts, as well as in protected mode.

The program takes up little disk space and is very well documented; There is a lot of information available on packers/protectors.

The program can be downloaded from the website ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack/tron130.zip (40 Kb)

UnASPack 1.0.9.1

This small Windows utility by BiWeiGuo allows you to unpack EXE and DLL files compressed by the popular ASPack packer up to version 2.1. Compression will not be performed if the selected file is not ASPacked (or the ASPack version used for compression is unknown to the utility).

When unpacking, a backup copy of the file is always created.

The program can be downloaded from the website http://pleiku.vietmedia.com/protoools/files/unpackers/2unaspack.zip (73 Kb)

UNP 4.12c

A once very popular, albeit slightly outdated (1995) universal unpacker for packed or DOS-protected executable files by Ben Castricum. Knows how to identify and remove many protections and “packages” (knows about 50 names of programs, not counting their many subversions). In addition, UNP may attempt to unpack files compressed/protected by unknown or new utilities (though this feature is not as powerful as other specialized programs described on this page).

UNP allows you to convert some EXE files to COM and vice versa, insert files into program headers, “tear out” and “attach” overlays, search for compressed files in a directory, optimize EXE files for subsequent compression, “align” EXE headers for more quick launch, remove unnecessary information from them, for example, linker comments, etc.

The program is well documented and traditionally takes up little space. As they say "The must have program"...

The program can be downloaded from the website ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack/unp412b.zip (without dock)
The full version can be downloaded from the website ftp://ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack/unp411.zip (40 Kb)

Un-Pack (File Analyzer & Unpacker) 2.2

A new powerful DOS utility by Snow Panther, designed to identify and, if possible, automatically remove various attachments and COM/EXE “packages”. The program decrypts most of those files that X-TRACT does not "take". Sometimes, after some changes made by the utility in question, unpacking can be done using , which Un-Pack will notify you about.

There are functions for setting the date/time of files, their truncation, analysis of PE files (import/export functions), dumper (universal unpacker) for COM files, generic detector of unknown types of protection/compression, EXE->COM converter, relocations handler, entry disassembler point"a, heuristic analyzer...

The program supports long file names (LFN) and can work together with an unpacker. It also recognizes all kinds of “left-handed” file formats by extension and uses the “engines” of the IDArc utilities, which made it possible to recognize about 170 types of archive files.

The new version added signatures for MZ, NE, PE files, improved EXE->COM conversion, updated IDArc engine, implemented support for unpacking files modified by tElock, ASProtect, ASPack, GFX2EXE, PE-Nightmare and others; several bugs fixed...

The program can be downloaded from the website http://mud.sz.jsinfo.net/per/aaron/files/file-analyzers/unpack22.zip (800 Kb)

UnPECompact 1.31

A small, slow Windows utility by Yoda that allows you to unpack EXE files compressed by the popular PECompact packer of almost any version (0.9-1.43). Unpacking is not performed if the selected file is not PECompact-compressed. It is possible to control from the command line.

The utility usually does not work under Win2K.

The new version adds support for additional versions of PECompact, and an option to force a full restoration of the import table has appeared.

http://y0da.cjb.net (70 Kb)

UnPEPack 1.0

A small Windows utility by M.o.D. that allows you to unpack executable files compressed with the PEPack packer. Doesn't work under Win2K.

The program with sources can be downloaded from the site http://pleiku.vietmedia.com/protoools/files/unpackers/unpepack.zip (135 Kb)

UnShrinker 1.0

This command line utility is intended for those people who suddenly need to get a zipped file

PE Explorer includes one of the most convenient and powerful executable file resource editors for Windows. Ample opportunities for opening and editing problematic files, a large list of supported resources, a well-thought-out interface, compatibility with the latest Windows versions and compliance with all modern requirements - all this makes PE Explorer the de facto standard when choosing tools for editing resources.

However, if you don't need the advanced functionality of PE Explorer, try it - this is the resource editor from PE Explorer, specially separated into a separate product.

By opening the file in PE Explorer and selecting the Resource Editor button on the toolbar, you will see a list of resources in the form of a tree with folders. Each folder contains a specific type of resource stored in the file being studied (graphics, menus, dialogs, icons, and so on). When you expand the folder, you will see a list of resource files.

In the right panel, PE Explorer shows the resource selected from the list, depending on its type, in the form of a graphic image, text or binary code (in this case, you can use the F4 key to switch the viewing mode (text/hex), and the F8 key - code page). Visual elements are displayed as they would appear in running application: Navigation, search and editing of the menu structure and dialog elements with this approach is greatly simplified.

Each user interface element found in the program under study can be saved to disk, modified, or replaced. Almost operations with , including PNG, XML, Image Lists and Type Library are supported.

The toolbar contains buttons for extracting and saving to disk a separately selected resource or all resources of a file at once, a button for calling the resource editor, buttons for deleting and restoring the selected resource, copying to the clipboard and calling the manifest resource creation wizard, a search button in the resource tree, buttons resource properties and tree navigation. Editing, saving or deleting can also be done by right-clicking on the selected resource and selecting required action from the context menu:

Standard ones that PE Explorer supports include bitmap, icon, menu, dialogue, cursor, font, stringtable, message table, toolbar, accelerator And version info. All other resource types are non-standard. Their name is determined by the file developer and can be anything. In the resource tree, the names of folders with non-standard resources are displayed in upper case, for example: AVI, TYPELIB, GIF, PNG, HTML, XML.

In program resources created using development tools such as Delphi or C++ Builder, you will not find the usual dialogs, menus or accelerators. Instead, there is a type of resource called RCData, which stores all this data in the form of a DFM (Delphi Form Module).

If the RCData resource contains Delphi forms, then all found objects and their associated properties and events are displayed in a hierarchical tree. The ease of navigation and search through the object tree makes working with such resources a pleasant experience.

The contents of forms and objects (image sheets, bitmaps, glyphs, string sheets) can be viewed and saved to disk, as when working with ordinary standard resources.

As a result of changing or replacing resources, you can change the appearance of icons, cursors, dialogs, buttons, lines, animated inserts, replace sounds and other elements of the standard user interface of applications running under any 32-bit operating system from the Windows family.

All changes made to resources are instantly displayed on the screen in WYSIWYG mode, and if you are not satisfied with the result, you can always return to the previous state. Any changes made can be undone until you click OK and did not close the editor.

Depending on the type and format of the resource, PE Explorer automatically launches the resource editor in one of the appropriate modes - graphical, text or special (for editing menus, dialogs, versions or Delphi forms).

Resource Hacker is a utility for working with resources packaged in executable files. It includes a complete set of tools for editing resources: compiling, viewing, decompiling and recompiling 32-bit and 64-bit executable resources Windows files(*.exe; *.dll; *.scr; *.mui and so on). Resource Hacker can save, add, modify or delete individual resources from these files, as well as create and compile .rc scripts and edit .res files.

For ordinary users Reshacker will be of interest primarily as convenient program for extracting icons, cursors, pictures from programs and, in some cases, audio and video files. For programmers, localizers and people who clearly understand why they need this program, Resource Hacker opens up more ample opportunities, ranging from translating programs into other languages ​​to changing the interface and other functions. The program has a dialog editor and the ability to add new control elements from Microsoft Common Control classes. The utility provides the ability to work and compile via the command line using .rc scripts, which are similar in style to the C language with additional parameters and directives (for example #DEFINE, #UNDEF, #IF, #ELIF, #ELSE and so on).

Resource editors are specialized programs for viewing, creating and editing PE file resources. With their help, you can, for example, unlock menu items in a shareware program, change the application icon, change appearance dialog boxes, translate the interface, etc. Every reverse engineer has their own favorite resource editor, so it's impossible to say that any of them are better or worse. Very often for a solution different tasks the functions of a specific tool are required, and in this article I will try to briefly talk about the most popular executable file resource editors.

Restorator- perhaps the most famous resource editor for executable files in exe, dll, ocx, scr, res and others formats. Allows you to create and edit standard .RES resource files, extract and add your own resources to the file. But the main advantage of Restorator is that the results of your work can be issued in the form of a small patch with a few clicks of the mouse. In this way, for example, a huge number of Russifiers have been created for various programs. Of the noticed shortcomings, the first one is the need to pay for using the program (in the attached versions this problem has already been solved), and the second one is the stupid habit of crap with the line “Bome” in the service fields of the icons of the edited file.

eXeScope- my favorite editor. Works very quickly with resources, you can quickly see dialog boxes, remove or change icons and pictures, but I am especially pleased with working with resource files written in Delphi. Sometimes problems arise with the resources of unpacked files; in this case, rebuilding the resource section of the file before sending it to the editor usually helps. eXeScope is also paid, but this problem has also been resolved a long time ago. If you prefer the English interface, then delete the eXeScope.RUS file from the program directory.

PE Explorer designed to view and edit the internal structure of executable files, such as EXE, DLL, ActiveX and others. PE Explorer includes a resource editor, section editor, disassembler, dependency scanner, analyzer digital signatures and other tools that are indispensable in the work of software researchers. With PE Explorer it is very easy to analyze, edit or optimize problematic files, translate interfaces into other languages. The authors of this section are the same as the previous one, with all the ensuing consequences. But abroad will help us again.

Resource Builder- another commercial development in the arsenal of resource editors. Using Resource Builder, editing resources becomes a breeze. This editor provides a complete set of very convenient and intuitive tools for all types of resources. The built-in linker will update resources directly in executable modules without recompiling, and creating Resource Only DLLs used for application localization takes just a couple of mouse clicks. Get this one for free useful tool possible on third-party resources: and two.

- free viewer and editor of executable file resources. You can download it, and the source code of the editor is also available for developers. So, learn, bloomers, how to work.

ResEdit.1.5.9.zip (527,389 bytes)

R.C.E.- a resource editor for visually creating and editing RC files, can be used in conjunction with the IDE or used with other resource editors as an auxiliary tool. It doesn’t work directly with executable files, so I don’t see much benefit from RCE.