Vista Tutorial - Re: Vista won't show file version unless extension is changed to DLL

On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 09:52:02 -0700, anon0918

>Please try this yourself: rename a DLL to a different extension (such as
>.asdf). Watch the Version tab disappear under the file's Properties. If you
>switch the extension back, suddenly Vista recognizes the version
>specification. Why is Vista ignoring file versions for custom file
>extensions??

Because arbitrary file extensions are not supposed to have version
tabs (or more specifically, the same structure as code files, which
define such tabs). This, IMO, is a Good Thing.

The extension is what you see, and what you use to assess the
potential behavior of a file. In essence, you assess the risk of a
file according to its type, as shown by the extension.

A file that mis-represents its type by using the wrong extension
should IMO be considered highly suspect. Code is the most dangerous
of file types. Even when not run as code, the processing of
type-specific material (such as displaying a version tab) exposes
internal surfaces of the OS that could contain exoploitable defects.

>We deal extensively with clients using older version of our files, so we
>need to be able to easily see the versions.

Then I would keep the appropriate extensions, and break the name of
the file (e.g. Blah.dll -> Blah3409.dll rather than Blah.dll ->
Blah.xyz). As implied in the example, you could append the build
number to the name and this save yourself a rt-click ;-)

Note that when you rename a file in this way, the registry can track
the change, if that file is referenced from there.

More to the point; note that invalidating the extension doesd not
always break the ability of the code to run, when referenced via a
self-corrected registry setting.

For example, if you rename WScript.exe to WScript.ex! from within
Win98, not only may you see WScript.ex! as the new action command line
for .WSH, .VBS, .JS etc. files, but these files will still "open" just
fine, even though .EX! is not a correct executable extension.

>With XP, we never had this problem. If a file had a version specified, it
>was shown.

Looks like XP was taking greater risks than Vista, in this case.

I approve of the change ;-)


>-- Risk Management is the clue that asks:
"Why do I keep open buckets of petrol next to all the
ashtrays in the lounge, when I don't even have a car?"
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