What is Detect?
The main purpose of Detect is to recognize files without looking at their extension. This is a great advantage, since the file type definitions of Windows 95 depend on the extension. So, if you have a .DOC file, Windows tells you it is a Microsoft Word Document, even if it is a plain text file.When you check a file with Detect, you will also be given additional information on the file. This could be the size of an image or the sampling rate of an audio file. In this way, you can often obtain information, which is not shown by other programs.
Click here to browse the File Format Information Database.
If you only have an email account with no FTP access, email me, and I'll send it to you.
If you don't have access to the internet at all, you should ask your "good friend with a modem",
or your "good friend, the shareware distributor" to get the latest version for you. You might find
Detect on some shareware CD's, too, but this will not be an up-to-date version.
There is no special registration form you have to send. Just write a short message
and send a cheque. (German users click here!)
The File Format Information Database is a collection of public information, so
you won't have to pay for using it. The FFID can be used by anyone, even if you
don't register Detect. But, of course, if nobody registers Detect, I will not
be encouraged to keep the FFID up to date...
Sometimes, the upper box might show contain more then one file type. This happens
when the format could not be detected unambigously, or if the file contains both
types of information: (eg. "HTML Document" and "English Text")
First, you should try to re-install Detect by running the executable. If this doesn't help,
you may add the registry entries manually (and at your own risk).
To do this, follow these steps:
So maybe, your browser is not set as the default application for .HTM files. To
check if this is the case, you should close your browser, click on a
.HTM file (eg. this help file) and see if the browser opens. If it
does not open, you should re-install your browser to make it the default
application for .HTM files.
If your browser is the default application for .HTM files, and it still
doesn't work, you probably have the following problem: You are using
Netscape and have it opened, when you click the icon. You should close the
browser, before you click the icon, or use MS-Internet Explorer,
which doesn't have this problem. I hope, this will be solved in future versions of Netscape.
If you don't have access to e-mail, you can of course reach me by postal mail:
What is the FFID?
The FFID (File Format Information Database) is a source of information
on file formats used on a Windows based system and on the internet.
It is written in HTML, so it can be viewed with any WWW browser.Where can I get the latest version of Detect?
FTP: If you have access to FTP, you can download Detect from various FTP sites (A list
of sites is to be presented here soon). You can also try an FTP-search for Detect.Do I have to pay for Detect or the FFID?
Detect is distributed as shareware, so it is not free. You are allowed to test
it for a trial period of 30 days, but then you have to pay for it. The registration
fee is $15 or DM25. Registered users get the full version of Detect, without the
registration reminder.How to use Detect
How is Detect installed?
Installing Detect is very easy: UnZip the archive DETECTxx.ZIP
into the directory, where you want Detect to be installed.
Then run the program by double-clicking on the program file (Detect.Exe).
This will cause Detect to install itself in the files' context menus. Then, you
will able to check any file very quickly, by choosing "Detect Format" from its context menu.
How do I check a file's format?
Using Detect is quite simple: When it is properly installed (see section 2.1),
just right-click on the file you want to check, and choose
"Detect format" from the context menu. A window will open
and show you the format of the file and some other information,
depending on the format.
How can I find more information on the format?
Many popular file formats are listed in the File Format Information Database (see section 1.2),
where you can find some information and links. If this is the case, you will
see the coloured FFID icon in the Detect window. You can now open the appropriate FFID page by simply
clicking the icon. Since the FFID is written in HTML, you must have a web browser installed.
Common Problems
I cannot find the Detect format option
Detect was not properly installed. The installing routine
adds some entries in the Windows 95 registry to make the
Detect format option available.
Detect should now work.
There are problems opening the FFID
This could be caused by different things. First of all,
you must have a web browser to view FFID-Pages. But you obviously have
a web browser, since you are just now viewing the help files.How can I contact the author of Detect?
If you have questions concerning Detect, the FFID or file formats in general,
you can contact me by e-mail:
a.krauss@wg.ks.he.schule.de.
Alexander Krauss
Leibnizstr. 3
34121 Kassel
GERMANY