[comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d] Help: Can't unarc .arc files; Can't execute .exe files

dak@hpausla.HP.COM (Dave Kruger) (08/24/88)

I hope someone out there can help me.  I am having trouble using the binaries
and archives from comp.binaries.ibm.pc.  I have extracted/uudecoded them
correctly (the advertised checksums all match), but they won't behave
on my system.

.ARC FILES

When I use arc.exe (or arce.exe) to try to unarc a *.arc file, it starts up,
but then stalls before extracting the first file.  This is also true if I try to
list the files in the archive; the error message is the same: (words to the
effect of) "Garbled header in farnarkle.arc".  It partially unarcs the first
file in the archive, but it is unusable (when you try to run it, it comes back
with something like "farnarkle.exe incomplete").

.EXE FILES

When I try to run a .exe file, the computer hangs irretrievably.  The only
solution is the power switch.

My computer is an Olivetti M28 (AT compatible).  I have also tried executing
the .exe files on a HP Vectra A+ (almost AT compatible) with the same result.

Has anyone else had this trouble?  Can anyone please help me?  I stress that
the checksums all check out with those given in the articles.

Thanks in advance,
Dave Kruger

nts0302@dsacg3.UUCP (Bob Fisher) (08/26/88)

Two possibliities for the problem with unARCing files from USENET

	When you transferred to your PC, you may have used a utility
	that translated UNIX newlines into DOS cr-lf which would
	corrupt executeables and ARC files

	The .arc file may have been created by PKARC rather than SEA's
	ARC program.  They aren't necessarily compatible.  I think
	that this is the biggest problem SEA has with PKARC because
	it makes it look like ARC is broken and that they are selling
	a bad product.

-- 
Bob Fisher (osu-cis!dsacg1!bfisher) 614-238-9071 (Autovon 850-9071)
From the Internet: bfisher%dsacg1.uucp@daitc.arpa
US Defense Logistics Agency Systems Automation Center
DSAC-TSX, Box 1605, Columbus, OH 43216-5002

lowey@dvinci.USask.CA (Kevin Lowey) (08/28/88)

In article <2210001@hpausla.HP.COM>, dak@hpausla.HP.COM (Dave Kruger) writes:
> When I use arc.exe (or arce.exe) to try to unarc a *.arc file, it starts up,
> but then stalls before extracting the first file.  

> 
> When I try to run a .exe file, the computer hangs irretrievably.  The only
> solution is the power switch.

  I used to have this problem.  I was using KERMIT to download the files to my
PC, but I forgot to tell kermit they were binary files so they were downloaded
as TEXT files (CR was changed to CRLF).  Perhaps you have to tell your file
transfer program that you are transfering a binary file.

-- Kevin Lowey