UC HEX Editor

A computer can’t read text as we do, and only relies on internal structure of a file to tell its type, and put it to good use. One of the code types a file goes by is hexadecimal, a binary structure with couples of characters representing every item inside the target file. To view and edit this type of code, UC HEX Editor provides an intuitive interface, and simple set of controls.

One of the main advantages is that the application doesn’t require you to go through a setup process, and you can take it for a spin as soon as download is done. Moreover, it enables you to simply store it on a thumb drive to take with you, just in case you need to use it on other computers as well. Another consequence is that registry entries are not modified in the process.

You might find the main window a little frustrating, not because it’s too complicated, but edit and view space is limited, with no possibility to drag the window borders around to resize the main window. On the other hand, the general display is intuitive, with HEX code rows shown first, binary pairs on most of the space, while corresponding characters inside file content in a separate section.

Interacting with either the content or binary code highlights the other, so you know what’s changed when modifying values. Double-clicking either fields brings up a dedicated prompt in which the new value needs to be specified. This prevents you from simply selecting a field, and accidentally modifying values, thus reducing the risk of damaging the target file.

Unfortunately, you need to manually browse through entire content in order to find values of interest, because there’s no built-in search function to help you out. An additional tool can be used to view ASCII code, but it only shows the general structure of ASCII characters, with no relation to the opened files. Be advised that saving overwrites the original file.

All things considered, we come to the conclusion that UC HEX Editor is a straightforward tool you can use to view, and edit binary data for any kind of file. Although the set of features only provides the bare necessities, with no built-in search function, or possibility to save as a separate file, it gets the job properly done overall.