In this chapter, you??™ll learn how to do the following:
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Manage files
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Compress and expand files
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Output files to a device
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Take ownership of files
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Manage file types and associations
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Work with the ODBC functionality
Comparing Two Files with the Comp Utility
Sometimes it??™s helpful to compare two files to determine what has changed or to verify that the files
are precisely the same. A common use of this technique is to compare two text files. The files could
contain anything from data to application settings. Another way to use this technique is to verify
that no one has tampered with executable files. Viruses and other forms of intrusion often modify
executable files. Just looking at the file isn??™t enough in many cases to verify the damage. However,
keeping a known good copy of the file on an unmodifiable source, such as a CD, and using this simple
comparison utility is often enough to detect the problem. It also provides you with a way of
356 CHAPTER 14
WORKING WITH DATA
expunging the intruder from your executables by copying the known good executable from the CD
(of course, you still have to consider registry entries and other ways intruders often use to rebuild
themselves).
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