How to compress .EXE file to .EX_
C K Fong
Many programs have installation files with extensions of .??_ (ie .EX_
.DL_ etc). I understand these are compressed files which can be
converted to the original files (.EXE .DLL etc) by using the EXPAND
command. Can any kind soul tell me what command (or program) I should
use to compress say a .EXE file to the .EX_ format? TIA.
Clay Calvert
Microsoft compress.exe, and a Setup Utility, can be downloaded here:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/CP0982.EXE
If you just want to compress files, I wouldn't recommend this method.
Even MS no longer uses this format. They now use the .CAB format.
This format can only compress one file at a time, and is not as
efficient as PKZIP which can compress thousands of files into one.
Another thing, I have been in a situtaion where I needed to expand
some of these files, but no longer had the setup program. I didn't
know the last letter for a lot of them, and they weren't compressed
using the "/R" switch which remembers this letter. So, I had go
through a lot of:
EXPAND FILE.AB_ FILE.ABA
EXPAND FILE.AB_ FILE.ABB
EXPAND FILE.AB_ FILE.ABC
.
.
.
Not the best use of my time. If I knew then what I have learned from
this newsgroup and alt.msdos.batch, I would have had a batch plug
through them while I got a cup of coffee.
P.S. I don't recommend using the .CAB format either. It is MS's
"attempt" to produce something as good as Pkzip.
Remove the "x" in my e-mail address to reply.
Clay Calvert, MCSE
ras...@highfiber.com
In article <355669dd...@news.hkstar.com>,
ckf...@hkstar.com (C K Fong) wrote:
>
> Many programs have installation files with extensions of .??_ (ie .EX_
> .DL_ etc). I understand these are compressed files which can be
> converted to the original files (.EXE .DLL etc) by using the EXPAND
> command. Can any kind soul tell me what command (or program) I should
> use to compress say a .EXE file to the .EX_ format? TIA.
Not surprisingly, it's called COMPRESS.EXE. Distribution is different:
EXPAND shipped with operating systems, COMPRESS shipped with
languages -- I'm about 90% sure Visual Basic for Windows is one of
them.
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C K Fong
On Sun, 10 May 1998 15:47:27 GMT, clayc...@erolsx.com (Clay
Calvert) wrote:
Thanks a lot. Cheers.
>Microsoft compress.exe, and a Setup Utility, can be downloaded here:
> ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/CP0982.EXE
>
>If you just want to compress files, I wouldn't recommend this method.
>Even MS no longer uses this format. They now use the .CAB format.
>
>This format can only compress one file at a time, and is not as
>efficient as PKZIP which can compress thousands of files into one.
>
>Another thing, I have been in a situtaion where I needed to expand
>some of these files, but no longer had the setup program. I didn't
>know the last letter for a lot of them, and they weren't compressed
>using the "/R" switch which remembers this letter. So, I had go
>through a lot of:
>
>EXPAND FILE.AB_ FILE.ABA
>EXPAND FILE.AB_ FILE.ABB
>EXPAND FILE.AB_ FILE.ABC
> .
> .
> .
>
>Not the best use of my time. If I knew then what I have learned from
>this newsgroup and alt.msdos.batch, I would have had a batch plug
>through them while I got a cup of coffee.
>
>P.S. I don't recommend using the .CAB format either. It is MS's
>"attempt" to produce something as good as Pkzip.
>
>
>
>On Sun, 10 May 1998 08:48:53 GMT, ckf...@hkstar.com (C K Fong) wrote:
>
>>Many programs have installation files with extensions of .??_ (ie .EX_
>>.DL_ etc). I understand these are compressed files which can be
>>converted to the original files (.EXE .DLL etc) by using the EXPAND
>>command. Can any kind soul tell me what command (or program) I should
>>use to compress say a .EXE file to the .EX_ format? TIA.
>
S. Widlake
In article <355669dd...@news.hkstar.com>
>Many programs have installation files with extensions of .??_ (ie .EX_
>.DL_ etc). I understand these are compressed files which can be
>converted to the original files (.EXE .DLL etc) by using the EXPAND
>command. Can any kind soul tell me what command (or program) I should
>use to compress say a .EXE file to the .EX_ format? TIA.
That's all to easy to answer :-)
Micro$oft's compress program is total CRAP. Avoid it at all costs. Use
something that is heaps better...
.ARJ, .RAR, .ZIP, .LHA, .PAK, .ARC, .SQZ, .ZOO, .BOO ...
... are ALL much better.
S.;-)
NOSPAM...@juno.com
ITs a lot easier just to use pkzip. Just zip it using the exe extension.
and you wont need any external program to decompress it such as
compres.exe
HaRRy wrote:
>
> On Sun, 10 May 1998 08:48:53 GMT, ckf...@hkstar.com (C K Fong) expounded:
>
> »Many programs have installation files with extensions of .??_ (ie .EX_
> ».DL_ etc). I understand these are compressed files which can be
> »converted to the original files (.EXE .DLL etc) by using the EXPAND
> »command. Can any kind soul tell me what command (or program) I should
> »use to compress say a .EXE file to the .EX_ format? TIA.
>
> If you absolutely must have that program, called COMPRESS.EXE, it is available
> from the Microsoft Software Library at
>
> FTP - ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/
> WWW - http://www.microsoft.com/support/
> MS Download Service - (206) 637- 9009 via modem
> MS BBS - (206) 936-6735 via modem
>
> And also is on various Microsoft programming language and application
> distribution diskettes.
>
> I agree with others here. Don't use COMPRESS. Us PKZIP (for example) instead.
>
> Regards, HaRRy, San Diego
> --
> (http://members.home.net/railharry/)
> (Anti-spam actions are required.
> To e-mail reply change nospam.com to home dot com)