Documentation / How-to guides / Replacing in binary files
Replacing in binary files
Many applications (e.g., Microsoft Word) use proprietary binary formats to store your documents. Aba cannot reliably replace in such files, because they typically include absolute offsets and other internal counters. The replacement may turn the binary file into inconsistent state, so you will not be able to open it again.
That's why Aba excludes these files from search. At your own risk, you may try to replace in binary files.
Warning: You should keep backups when using this feature. Your files may be corrupted after replacement!
When the length of the original text is equal to the length of the replacement, you will usually succeed. For example, replacing 2007 to 2008 in a binary file is usually safe (you still need to be careful!).
To perform the replacement in binary files:
- Step 1. Make backup copy of the files you want to replace in. Aba will keep its own backups, but it's better to have another copy for extra safety.
- Step 2. Select the binary files in Explorer, right-click them and choose Aba Search and Replace from context menu.
- Step 3. Enter the text to search for and the text to replace to.
- Step 4. The occurrences in binary files are unselected by default. This behavior is by design. Press Select all to select these occurrences or select them one-by-one.
- Step 5. Press the Replace button. Aba will warn you that the replacement in binary files is dangerous.
- Step 6. View the replaced files. If you cannot open a file in the program that created it, you should undo the replacement.