Extentions in format **_

Original Message

Name: aero
Date: July 29, 2004 at 19:01:14 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_
OS: N/A
CPU/Ram: 300 MhZ Celeron: 256 MB R

Comment:

Files with the format **_, like EX_ and SY_, are identified as "compressed files of the normal extention."
So if EX_ is a compressed EXE, and SY_ is a compressed SYS, and so on, how do I decompress them so they work right?

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Response Number 1

Name: Mechanix2Go
Date: July 29, 2004 at 19:33:46 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Hi,
Your os is not N/A
In 6.22, if you type EXPAND, you get this msg:
E:\dos622>expand
Type the location and name of the
compressed file you want to expand
(Example: A:\EGA.SY_)
Compressed file:

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Response Number 2

Name: T-R-A
Date: July 30, 2004 at 02:27:03 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

If you're trying to expand Windows 3.1 files (using Windows expand.exe) the format is as follows:
"expand somefile.ex_ somefile.exe"
(assuming you want the decompressed file in the same directory) or, conversely:
"expand somefile.ex_ a:\somefile.exe"
if you want to move it to a floppy.
Files in Windows 3.0 were compressed to a format with the same extention, thus:
"expand somefile.exe somefile.exe"
probably wouldn't have worked since you would overwrite the file while trying to decompress it.

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Response Number 3

Name: jboy
Date: July 30, 2004 at 06:48:46 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

As is so often the case, parameters can be shown by
expand /?
I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

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Response Number 4

Name: aero
Date: July 30, 2004 at 09:42:01 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Okay, thanks. The only problem I have now is that I need to expand some files with the "HL_" extention, and I don't know what the full extension should be.
I assumed "HLP", but that doesn't work.
Anyone know?

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Response Number 5

Name: jboy
Date: July 30, 2004 at 09:56:46 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Maybe some context? Specifically (with details) - what are you doing?

I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

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Computer freezes on startup Re format hard drive Format C: formating a hard drive Need Help With Formatting Hard Dive	Endless Hibernation Loop How do I delete the hard drive? 3.1 cd player Win 3.1 Startup Disk need boot disk for ibm 386

Response Number 6

Name: aero
Date: July 30, 2004 at 10:24:56 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

I'm taking my MS-DOS 6.22 install disk set, copying all the files to my computer, and expanding all the files that are compressed.
Files with the HL_ extention include DEFRAG.HL_ on disk1 and HELP.HL_ on disk2.

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Response Number 7

Name: jboy
Date: July 30, 2004 at 10:39:34 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Of course, you know setup will do that automatically?
Defrag.hl_ does indeed expand to defrag.hlp - why do you say "that doesn't work" (which is just wonderfully informative) ??

DOS 'HLP' help files are in a different format than Windows files with that extension - you can't use Windows Help to open them - only by invoking the help function from the program in question
Somewhere on those disks you may have the list of files to show you what expands to what (filelist.txt?)

I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

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Response Number 8

Name: aero
Date: July 30, 2004 at 11:01:22 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

I was under the impression "they didn't work" because I tried to open them in windows and couldn't. I didn't know they had a different format. Oh well.
And the only reason I'm bothering with this is that setup didn't do anything automatically. Executing the setup.exe file on disk1 gives a message to restart the computer and let the disk boot to the install program.
If I try to boot from disk1, however, I get the generic "non-system disk" error message that you get when you try to startup with a non-bootable disk in your computer.
So maybe I've done something wrong entirely.....

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Response Number 9

Name: jboy
Date: July 30, 2004 at 11:12:16 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Yeah, well what you're doing will be pretty tedious (if it isn't already) - if you can find that list, it may help somewhat - you won't need to expand every single file either.
Can't recall for sure, it's been many a year since the one time I ran DOS 'setup' - you could likely copy the necessary files from disk1 to a basic 622 bootdisk and proceed from there.
Besides expanding the files, setup 'sets up' some things - autoexec.bat & config.sys, as well as selecting the appropriate video driver for the Dosshell file manager - although anymore, only the VGA one is required.

I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

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Response Number 10

Name: Mick C
Date: July 30, 2004 at 15:36:28 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

You cannot open HELP.HLP by itself. You open it with HELP.COM, also you need QBASIC.COM in the same location.
DOSSHELL is not on the MS-DOS 6.22 Install Disk Set. It was withdrawn from MS-DOS 6.2 onwards, and moved to the Supplemental Disk (Sometimes called Disk 4) which has its own SETUP.BAT file - I have a reconfigured VGA copy on my PowerLoad DOS page ready for use, As well as the MS-DOS 6.0,6.2,6.21 & 6.22 Supplimental Disks.
HTH
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track...

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Response Number 11

Name: jboy
Date: July 30, 2004 at 17:11:59 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

I stand corrected (it was a long time ago), but I do recall puzzling over the compressed files then, much like aero is today ; )
(and setting up dosshell for EGA)
I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

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Response Number 12

Name: Mick C
Date: July 31, 2004 at 02:59:54 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

As posted elsewhere. I installed MS-DOS 6.22 onto a clean spare harddrive many moons ago and saved all the expanded files onto floppy disks. I now have CD-ROMs with such files stored on them. Not that I use them as much as I used to.
Yes jboy time does indeed blur the memory, thats why I am glad that there are still sites such as Computing.Net to keep the knowledge alive.
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track...

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Response Number 13

Name: T-R-A
Date: July 31, 2004 at 09:53:43 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

>>>If I try to boot from disk1, however, I get the generic "non-system disk" error message that you get when you try to startup with a non-bootable disk in your computer.<<<
If they're indeed DOS disks (an imaged version or the true blue originals) then you should be able to boot from them (they should have a version of command.com and io.sys on them). "Setup/g" should allow you to install it without having to go through the routine of backing up the old version of DOS (which you apparently don't have). You may be able to find or create a version of a DOS 6.22 boot disk (assuming that's the version you're using) and boot to it and install the rest of DOS with what files you have. Just remember, if that's the case, you'll need the same EXACT version of the bootdisk...

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Response Number 14

Name: Mick C
Date: July 31, 2004 at 10:55:11 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

You can get a MS-DOS 6.22 Bootable Image from my Bootdisk Project Page, which I think you have already visited to obtain Disk Copy Pro.
And by copying the rest of Install Disk One onto the bootdisk re-create a bootable setup disk.
One other point to bear in mind is the disk label. If it is not set as

DISK 1
Thats DISK followed by 6 spaces then 1
You will not get past Disk 1 if you try to use them. Disk 2 & 3 need to be labled in a similar fashion.
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track...

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Response Number 15

Name: T-R-A
Date: July 31, 2004 at 12:25:40 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Hey Mick,
In case nobody ever told you, you got a real good site there. Didn't realize you had that much about DOS...

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Response Number 16

Name: jboy
Date: July 31, 2004 at 12:59:33 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Mick's site is one of the first ones I discovered when I finally got online.
A 'must visit' : )

I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

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Response Number 17

Name: Mick C
Date: July 31, 2004 at 13:46:27 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

:-) Well its nice to know my work was not in vain.
I got a post on my Message Board
"Hi Man, When are you going to replace this old rubbish? Your site is getting really stale..."
Good God 'man' thats the point! Says I ...
Long live DOS ;-)
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track...

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Response Number 18

Name: jboy
Date: July 31, 2004 at 13:51:44 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Indeed - keep up the good work.

I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

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Response Number 19

Name: dominicus
Date: July 31, 2004 at 22:31:30 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Not in vain indeed!!! Your site , along with Lightspeed's and PcFreak (now Zero Sky?) were critically important for me when i first started learning about PC's..still the very first pages i bookmark when I put a new box together...Kudos!!!

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Response Number 20

Name: SkipCox
Date: August 1, 2004 at 11:18:51 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

When a 120Mb hdd was a big drive I spent a lot of time deleting "unnecessary" DOS and Windows files. I spent more time typing commands like:
expand a:\help.hl_ c:\dos\help.hlp
It takes quite a while to expand a slew of files that only took a second to delete.
Mick's site and the OldFiles network is directly responsible for giving new life to about sixty 286, 386, and 486 machines that have passed through my garage. They all left home with working internet and network connections and most of them are still at work daily. Plug a cash drawer and receipt printer into a serial port and you have a working cash register or point of sale terminal. Spend 5 bucks on Works 2 or 3 and you can run your business. Brand spankin' new DOS/Win3.x operating systems cost less than twenty bucks.
And, if a file gets deleted or corrupted...expand is usually a quick fix. As larger harddrives became available, I'd just copy all the compressed files to the DOS directory. Makes for less typing to expand the files.
Skip

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Response Number 21

Name: Mick C
Date: August 1, 2004 at 13:12:00 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Just a quick plug, The Oldfiles Network which is a partnership between PowerLoad & LightSpeed with other Classic DOS & Windows Sites is at:
http://oldfiles.org.uk/
Other related sites are invited to jion the Network
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track...

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Response Number 22

Name: Mechanix2Go
Date: August 2, 2004 at 06:03:14 Pacific
Subject: Extentions in format **_

Reply: (edit)

Hi Gang,
Good mileage on this one; 21 replies and counting.
Aero,
since your OS is n/a, you can go to a box runnung 2k [maybe or XP] and copy everything into an empty directory and:
for %%F in (*.ex_) do expand %%F %%~nF.exe
For homework, write the additional lines needed to expand the other extensions.
Hint: .38_ expands to .386
OBW, since you tried to 'use' a 6.22 .hlp file and it 'didn't work'. Lemme guess, you're a;ready running Windows, roght?
If you manage to get useable 6.22 onstall disks, which these guys have told you how to do, are you planning to install 6.22 on a win9x box?
If so, I think you should regroup.

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