Copyright: (c)1995 Immortalware JTHZ
Citation: A


The Change-P.I. main window
THE CHANGE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR - MAIN SCREEN

Click on things to see what on earth they mean:

How to use The Change-P.I.

About The Change-P.I.


about
THE CHANGE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

An original concept of Julius Thyssen and Hens Zimmerman. The first version existed way before all other 'snapshot'-utilities appeared on the market, and we think it still is the most basic one of them all. It does what you expect it does, it looks for changes, and it is specialized in just that, so even dumb losers should be able to work with this program.

Back to the main screen

Version 5.4 of The Change-P.I. was written for the Microsoft Windows environment with the use of Borland C 4.51 and Borland Resource Workshop 4.5. The helpfile was created with the use of Microsoft Word 7.1, Microsoft SHED 3.50.784 and Microsoft HC 3.10.505

This is distributed as free careware! If you care about us, please mail us some kind of donation (postcards will do). In case you're loaded, send money in checks or cash (no coins!) by mail, or send a so called 'international postal money order' (to dutch guilders), or make a deposit on Mastercard-accountnr. 5413 3027 1903 6493, or make a deposit on dutch POSTbank-nr. 945945 "t.n.v. J.B.Thyssen". Send all your stuff to:

Thyssen/Zimmerman

P.O. Box 18156

1001 ZB Amsterdam

TEL/FAX/INFO: (NL) 0206 000 288

TEL/FAX/INFO: (INTNL) country access+31 206 000 288

© 1995 Intensive care by Immortalware.

While we retain the copyright, we encourage you to pass this software on to others, provided that the following files are always included in the distribution: FILE_ID.DIZ, CHANGEPI.EXE, CHANGEPI.HLP, BWCC.DLL (originally this helpfile came out of CONTRAB9.ZIP which included CHANGEPI.ZIP)


How to use Change-P.I.
HOW TO USE THE CHANGE-P.I. - THE CHANGE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

Stage 1

The Change-P.I. is a utility to check what does/did change in the content of a drive and/or one or more directories on your system, during a period of time by your choice.

WHY USE IT?

Say you want to install some fresh software and expect to (later on) decide it's of no use to you; You might be interested in knowing which files will be added, which files will change, on your drive. This can help a lot in cleaning up after removing or uninstalling software. Or you may want to spy on someones PC to see what he or she has been doing. Or you may want to trap a virus. Or simply want to see what happens if you run a certain program. Or, well.. there are many uses to think of, where the Change-P.I. can come in handy. We initially created it for private use and still use it frequently.

Using this program is quite simple. Before you install new software (or before you run a program you suspect), you have to record the status-information of your choice to a file. You can store this file wherever you like (on a floppy for instance). If you're only interested in the changes that take place under a certain directory (C:\WINDOWS for example), you can click on the Choose (path to check for changes) button and specify the directory of your choice. This can also be the root.

You can specify whether the Change-P.I. should recurse sub-directories in the Options-dialog. If you mark the check-box near Check (sub)directories too the Change-P.I. will record information from subdirectories too. If you choose to record information from C:\WINDOWS, files in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM are then checked as well.

After making your choices click on Record to start saving information to a file. You are prompted to enter a filename and location with a Common Dialog. Recording information takes time, depending on the amount of files being looked for and in particular when you decide to record CRC-information. Under normal circumstances recording CRC's is somewhat over the top, so only mark this checkbox if you know why you're looking for Checksum-changes! If you don't, leave it empty, like this:

The other checkboxes above CRC-changes cause no real heavy time-consuming processes while using the Change Private Investigator.

Stage2

After you are done recording, you can install software, run programs, etc. Whenever you feel the need to see what has changed, run The Change-P.I. again. Select what you want to know (time changes, date changes, size changes, new files, deleted files, CRC changes) in the middle of the screen and click on Compare. Next you are prompted to enter the stage1-file, so that the program can compare two situations. Again, when you want to know the CRC changes, be forewarned that this takes time. When The Change-P.I. has finished, you will instantly see what has happened in the result-dialog. In most cases you need to save these results to a file, so you will know which files can be deleted safely. To save the results to a file, click on the To file button.

That's all there is to it!

The Change Private Investigator does NOT damage or alter files that are being checked for changes in any way. It's ALL READ ONLY, with the exceptions of the files created by the program itself, and the direct delete-option in the results window. The authors claim no responsibility for any damages that might be caused by the use or abuse of this software. Otherwise: Sue us! Youll be nowhere with us; it'll never be our fault, sue Gates!


Options-window
THE CHANGE-P.I. - OPTIONS DIALOG

Click on things in this window for more information:

Back to the main screen

How to use The Change-P.I.

About The Change-P.I.


Results-window
THE CHANGE-P.I. - RESULTS DIALOG

Now you can click on what you see here for more info:

Back to the main screen

How to use The Change-P.I.

About The Change-P.I.


main path
Shows which directory will be investigated

when recording a file in stage 1


main output
This field displays the files that are being checked by the program.

Gives you something to look at while the Change-P.I. does its work.


new check
Mark this if you want NEW FILES to be

noticed when comparing in stage 2


main help
Shows help about the Main Screen. Pressing

this now may cause feedback in your brain

and you just might get sucked into oblivian

if you keep on doing these things.


exit from main
Closes The Change-P.I. window

and exits you from the program.


time check
Mark this if you want files to be checked for

TIME-CHANGES when comparing in stage 2


size check
Mark this if you like SIZE-CHANGES

to be noticed when comparing in stage 2


deleted check
Mark this if you like to know if and which files

are DELETED when comparing in stage 2


date checkbox
Mark this if you want files to be checked for

DATE-CHANGES when comparing in stage 2


CRC checkbox
Mark this box if you need CRC-information to be

recorded by the Change-P.I. in stage 1.

Or mark it in stage 2 when you want CRC-changes

to be noticed when comparing. If you don't mark this

option when recording (stage 1), you won't be able to

check for CRC-changes in stage 2 (there's nothing

to compare to).

CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Checking) is a way to

establish a unique checksum for a file. If anything

inside a file changes, the CRC changes also. So

even when time, date and size stay the same,

changes to a file can still be spotted.

BE AWARE THAT RECORDING AND COMPARING CRC'S

TAKES TIME AND ISN'T OFTEN NECESSARY.


STAGE 2

In the second stage, comparing the current

situation to an earlier saved file takes place.

This way you can easily spot what the

hell has happened on your system.


dir directory
Shows directories and drives.

You can double-click on any line

in this box to change to a new

directory or drive. You will only

see folders/directories in here!


STAGE 1

The first stage records the current status of the content

of drive and/or directory and writes it into a new file.

Later on you can compare any recorded file

created in stage 1 to a new situation (stage 2)

to check whether or not files have been added,

removed or if something inside a file has changed.


dirselectedpath
This line displays the current directory.

Pretty obvious stuff. Don't lose it.


dir ok
Returns you to the main screen with the

directory of your choice to investigate on.


dir help
Shows help about the directory-selector.

Boy do we like parmesan-cheese.


dir cancel
Cancels the directory-selection, leaving

the directory to check unchanged.


results to file
Click on this button to save the

results of a comparison to a file.


results listbox
The scrollable listbox shows the changes found

in a comparison done by the Change-P.I.

You can scroll through the list for a quick

and easy overview of what has changed.

WHEN YOU DOUBLE-CLICK ON A FILE IN THIS

LIST, MURDER ONE WILL COMMENCE !


resultshelp
Shows help for the Results-dialog.

You triggerhappy you?


results back
Returns you to the main screen.


results close
Yeah, as if! When in Rome, right? You suck!


options save
When you're content with the settings,

click on this button to save your choices.


options recurse
By specifying this option sub-directories

will be recursed, their contents then counts.


options 3 beeps
Mark this if you like 3 beeps to emerge

from your beloved PC-speaker whenever

The Change-P.I. finishes a task.


options no sound
Mark this if you want no sound to be heard

whenever The Change-P.I. finishes a task.


options help
Shows help about Options. You really

need more adventure in your daily life.


options cancel
Returns to the main screen and leaves settings

as they were before opening this window.


options asterisk
If you choose this option, a WAV-file will be played

automatically whenever The Change-P.I. finishes a task.

The Change-P.I. makes use of the SystemAsterisk as

its finish-sound. You can configure the WAV-file you

like to hear in the Windows Control Panel under Sound.

If your sound-device isn't configured properly or for

some reason the Asterisk-sound can't be played,

The Change-P.I. will use a single beep instead.


main record
Starts recording file-information of the current situation

to a file of your choice (stage 1).

If necessary, choose a (sub)directory you want to investigate

by clicking on the Choose button beforehand.

You can (un)mark CRC-changes in the middle

of the screen to specify whether CRC-information should be

recorded (computing CRC's slows down the process,

so use it only if you know you really need to).


Compare button
Starts comparing current situation with a recorded file.

In this stage you don't have to specify which directory to check

for changes; this information is already stored in the recorded file.

You can however (un)mark some of the checkboxes in the middle

of the screen (New Files, Deleted Files, etc.) to specify what

kind of changes should be investigated on (when comparing).

Doing a compare will result in a results window.


Directory to check for changes
THE CHANGE-P.I. - DIRECTORY DIALOG

Click on any of the controls to see what on earth they mean:

This dialogbox enables you to choose a directory which will be used as a starting-point when recording to a file. (Sub)directories within the chosen directory will also be investigated if you mark the Check (sub)directories too-checkbox in the Options-dialog.

Back to the main screen...

How to use The Change-P.I.

About The Change-P.I.