Getting ActiveX Control To Send to AbiWord not MSFT Word

[dranfu]

This is my first post, so first I'd like to say hello. Hello! Ok, on to the question:

At work, we use a web based program that has an ActiveX control that, when a user clicks the "Sign" button, the Active-X control launches word and transfers the data from the web server to microsoft word located on the users computer. The ActiveX control uses two functions to start and check that word is running: StartWord and IsWordRunning.

Example of IsWordRunning

 Private Function IsWordRunning() As Boolean
Dim pWord As System.Diagnostics.Process() =
System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessesByName("winword")
If pWord.Length >= 1 Then
Return True
Else
Return False
End If
End Function

I don't have an example of the StartWord function, unfortunately.

My question is: Is there any known way to trick the ActiveX control into thinking that winword.exe is running, for instance by running Abiword (free word processor program, but renaming the abiword executable file to winword.exe. I know that the when data is sent from the web server to microsoft word, it comes as a formatted RTF document, which is saved in a temp file. Obviously, Abiword will open RTF files. The only problem is, when I click the button to begin the transfer, I get an error saying "cannot start word."

Also, I have already tried renaming abiword.exe I've also placed both those files and their associated dll files in the Microsoft/Office directory, and it didn't help.

Any ideas?

[WingedPanther]

Renaming the executable is unlikely to change the process name the executable provides to the system.

[dranfu]

I was hoping that wasn't the case. But, is there any way to change the name the executable provides the system? Any work around here? My other plan is to just rewrite the ActiveX file (I've used PE explorer to find the TYPE library). Are there any reverse engineering programs that could perhaps provide the code for that Active X file? Since it seems that there are only a couple of functions that even call MSFT word, if I could just replace the calls to word with calls to abiword, or to openoffice, then everything else could be left as is.

Am i on the right path or no?

[WingedPanther]

A hex editor may work.

[dranfu]

Ok, I downloaded a decent Hex Editor...but how does this help me find the actual source code? It is usefull for information, especially seeing what strings are in what memory locations...but Is there some way to find the actual programming code?

I'm pretty sure it's written in VB, since it's an activeX control.

[WingedPanther]

The Hex Editor will not show you the programming code. You would need a decompiler for that. You can download the source code for AbiWord and modify it that way, or look for the identifier string with the Hex Editor and change it that way.

[dranfu]

Ok, thank you for taking the time to help and for all the suggestions. I think you've put me on the right path.