[Detect Homepage] [FFID Homepage]

Contents

  1. General Information
    1. What is Detect?
    2. What is the FFID?
    3. Where can I get the latest version of Detect?
    4. Do I have to pay for Detect or the FFID?
  2. How to use Detect
    1. How is Detect installed?
    2. How do I check a file's format?
    3. How can I find more information on the format?
  3. Common Problems
    1. I can't find the "Detect Format" option
    2. There are problems opening the FFID
  4. How can I contact the author of Detect


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.


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.

Click here to browse the File Format Information Database.


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.

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.


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.

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...


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.

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")



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.

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:

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.

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.


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.

If you don't have access to e-mail, you can of course reach me by postal mail:

Alexander Krauss
Leibnizstr. 3
34121 Kassel
GERMANY


Anmerkung zur Registrierung aus der Bundesrepublik Deutschland:

Am einfachsten ist es, das Geld direkt auf folgendes Konto zu überweisen:

Kto Nr: 1252614670
BLZ 520 503 53
Kasseler Sparkasse
Stichwort: Detect-Reg: (Name)