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Find a file extension

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guillaume -  
xFast3 Posted messages 3 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -
Hello
I'd like to know if there is a way to find out the extension of an unknown file without trying them all one by one.
Let me quickly explain my problem:
Recently, I found an old file without an extension and I still can't open it.
Given its size (200 MB), I'm pretty sure it's a video, but despite trying all the well-known extensions (mpg, mpeg, avi, divx, wmv), nothing works, my player tells me the format is unknown.
Thank you for your help.

17 answers

  1.
    enguyen Posted messages 1 Status Member 1
     
    even better: Use a file identification program based on what it has inside
    https://mark0.net/soft-trid-e.html

    it works

    see you later
    12
  2. Anonymous user
     
    Maybe, I say maybe, with a hex editor, there might be a way to find that; I imagine the files have some sort of "header" describing them. That being said, I also think there must be a freeware available somewhere that knows where to look in the file's source.

    I add that, since I'm not very familiar with this, I wonder if the kind of hex editor needed is more of those disk-level editors rather than file-level ones (to display the header, not just the data).

    I'll check; I have two CDs of free software and shareware, maybe there's something like that in there, but I can't promise you.

    It's true that a utility that could help recognize the nature of a file wouldn't be superfluous (after all, MacOS - well, the one I know, system 7.1 - knows how to do that perfectly...).

    kinder.surprise,
    the tomcat's spotter
    6
    1. guillaume
       
      thank you, that's nice
      0
  3. Pitu Posted messages 1460 Status Contributor 125
     
    And zip, have you tried it?
    It's common to try to hide zip archives by changing the extension, or even removing it entirely.
    But it seems to me that it's noticeable with a hex editor, yes.
    Here's what I see when opening a zip of a file named ficessai.jpg with Ultra Edit: 
    PK  EEÛ.Ö!xPN æ ficessai.jpg

    PK => identifies the source as PKware (zip tools)

    If you could give us a little copy/paste of the first few characters of your file, that could help.
    a +
      (:•Þ   Pitu
    3
  4. stop
     
    it's possible that in addition to the extension you no longer have the program
    2
  7. Barjak Posted messages 23 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   3
     
    Hi,
    If you're sure it's a video, maybe you don't have the right codec to play it because no matter what the extension name is, your player should be able to play it. To find out if you have the right codec, download G-Spot, a freeware that will tell you if it's indeed a video file and which codecs you need to play the video and audio.
    1
    1. guillaume
       
      I tried your thing and it shows me this:

      video codec: divx 5.0
      2 compatible codecs installed

      audio codec: ogg vorbis
      codec not installed
      0
      1. Barjak Posted messages 23 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   3 > guillaume
         
        It's now certain, it's indeed a video and you are missing the Ogg Vorbis codecs. You can easily find them on the internet. To see where your problem lies, you need to click on the "Render" button in Gspot. It will tell you if your video can be rendered or not, and with a bit of luck, it will indicate where it gets stuck. If Gspot tells you that the file can be rendered and your player still can't read it (this has happened to me before), you can try recompressing it with Virtual Dub. Good luck!
        0
      2. guillaume > Barjak Posted messages 23 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
         
        great it works thank you
        0
  8. Castor Posted messages 17881 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   170
     
    yeah I'm like pitu and kinder...
    with a hex editor you'll already have some info (well 90%... there's always a chance it might not be there) but it's also possible that the file in question is corrupted.... and even with the right extension you'll never be able to read it...

    .O Save Mary, eat Chouba
    (_)__    ... Beaver
    1
    1. guillaume
       
      Here is the translation: Here, I visualized the file with a hex editor and here’s what the first bytes look like:

      OggS — Ñx 9 video DX508 € ¶ˆ   ð OggS hGû vorbis D¬ ÁW ¸ OggS jCÆô z vorbis Xiph.Org libVorbis I 20020717 8 TITLE=AU DELA DU REEL S1ep05 - Dos au mur - ARAKIS.avi AUTHOR=ARAKIS OggS

      Strange, isn't it? If someone could enlighten me.
      0
      1. Castor Posted messages 17881 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   170 > guillaume
         
        This is a file "beyond the real" encoded in OggVorbis for audio and in Divx 5.0.8 for video

        .O  -= Everyone to the café =-
        (_)__        ... Beaver for the cup
        0
  9. Eaulive Posted messages 27403 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   294
     
    Guillaume solved his problem, but I would like to develop a bit more on a possible software that would recover lost file extensions... 

    ジ   Eaulive...   ジ Save the trolls, eat chicken!
    1
    1. Anonymous user
       
      open a new post then :-)))) 

      ok >>>>>>>>>>I'm out


      Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. (Aristotle)
      :-)
      0
  10. snoopy
     
    Are you looking for software that can scan a file to recognize its real extension based on its coding, is that it? To accurately identify the valid extension of a file without an extension? This software exists, its name is FileTypeSpy. It is available on telecharger.com, and I can tell you that it works well. I use it, in particular, to identify files that I download from the internet, which helps avoid launching any file.
    1
  11. Anonymous user
     
    thank you snoopy (-:

    kinder.surprise,
    the big boss of the tomcat
    1
  12. ceripo
     
    Désolé, je ne peux pas vous aider avec ça.
    1
    1. skymoon
       
      For FileType Spy, I found this:
      http://www.freegamesoft.com/Utilities/Download/Software/16573/FileType-Spy.html

      I hope this helps you!
      See you!
      0
  13. bmbm75
     
    The link is broken, please provide another one.
    1
  15. xFast3 Posted messages 3 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
     
    It doesn't work, your thing, Jimi.
    1
  16. clarabeille Posted messages 77 Status Member 6
     
    Hi :) and there's no way for you to display the file extensions? Control Panel/Folder Options/View/and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types".
    0
    1. guillaume
       
      yes, of course, the extensions are clearly displayed.
      apparently I misspoke:
      the file in question actually has no extension (I must have accidentally deleted it). but that was a long time ago and I don't remember what type of file it is :'(
      0
  17. Profile blocked
     
    have you tried with .dat (video files that open with PowerVcd)

    time is not money, time is life
    0
  18. Eaulive Posted messages 27403 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   294
     
    I am closely following this very interesting post :-) 

    ジ   Eaulive...   ジ Save the trolls, eat chicken!
    0