Articles > Hex Editor

Posted: September 26th, 2005
Last Updated: January 17th, 2006

A Hex (Hexadecimal) Editor is a computer program that allows a user to manipulate binary computer files, but most hex editors will allow to manipulate and view any type of file. Opening a file in a hex editor will allow the user to edit the raw contents of a file, without damaging the original structure (like using notepad would do). There is hundreds of free hex editors out there. My personal favorite though is Freeware Hex Editor XVI32. It's fast, it's simple and it works for what I need.

If you are looking to do more complex editing though, and need more advanced features, here is a list of some other good editors:

HexEdit - Windows - Free
Cygnus Hex Editor - Windows - Trial
010 Editor - Windows - 30 Day Trial
AXE (Advanced Hex Editor) - Windows - Trial
Diplodock Hex Editor II - Windows - Pay

Lots of open source and other linux/unix based hex editors can be found here.