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The Usenet Warez FAQ
-Introduction-
Welcome to alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc and the other
warez-related groups. ABWI is the world's largest
software evaluation library and is dedicated to the
preservation of warez for EVERYONE. In the interest of
education, the Warez (pronounced "wares") Community
is bringing you these Frequently Asked Questions and
guidelines for acceptable conduct. We wish to recognize
the contributions of the Inner Circle to this document.
Q: Why should I read this lengthy FAQ?
A: Because the warez groups are much more complicated
than most other newsgroups. Therefore, there are more
procedures to know and guidelines to observe. This FAQ
is your guide to survival in Usenet Warez.
Q: Isn't distribution of copyrighted software illegal?
A: If you want legal advice on this subject, you will
have to get it on your own as it is beyond the scope of
this document.
General Procedures
Q: What is Rule #1?
A: Lurk, watch, read the FAQ and learn before
jumping in. If you are new here, this will require a
certain amount of restraint. Just relax, sit back, and pay
attention. The guidelines are for the benefit of all. Most
of all, you MUST learn to be patient. Warez are NOT
available on demand.
Q: What is rule #2?
A: Get a well-connected server. Not only will this
benefit you (because you will be able to get complete
posts), but it will also benefit the group as a whole
(since you will have fewer repost requests). How good is
your present server? If you are missing more than 10%
or so of the parts of multi-part messages, not good.
Local ISPs have notoriously bad servers. You have two
upgrade paths: (1) Get a new ISP with a well-connected
news server. (2) Get an additional stand-alone
subscription to another news server. Whatever you have
to do or spend will be well worth it in the end. But still,
be patient.
(1) Mindspring AT&T WorldNet (2) Altopia/Altnet
Newscene SuperZippo Supernews
Q: What is rule #3
A: BE PATIENT! The point is that, if you don't follow the
FAQ, no one has to be patient with you.
Q: What is the proper way to post?
A: See Appendix A for posting techniques. Do not
experiment in the binary groups. Test post in alt.test or
alt.binaries.test. Violators of posting techniques, or
those who disregard the preferred conventions, generally
get flamed.
Q: I've been flamed. What do I do about it?
A: Learn from your mistake. And don't take it
personally. Shooting off your mouth only compounds
your error and illustrates in clear detail how lame you
really are instead of merely inexperienced. This is a
rough and busy neighborhood, don't expect to have your
hand held.
Q: What might I post in ABWI?
A: Reasonably current releases of IBM-PC compatible
commercial software applications- NO games! Older
commercial software applications (and even games too)
can safely be posted to alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.old
(see Appendix B for more warez news groups).
Q: Can I start posting as soon as I read this FAQ and
learn how my newsreader works?
A: Well you CAN, but you should probably ease into it.
Most people, when they begin, do not have a great deal
of stuff to post. Perhaps the best thing to do is respond
to requests (REQ) from others if you have managed to
get pieces they have missed. If you have not been here
very long, even if you have something fairly new, you
wouldn't know that it was just posted two weeks ago.
The release version of Office97 was posted here almost
a month before it was in the stores. The idea is not to
show everyone how much you can post, but to post
useful things. With technology being what it is, many
newcomers have ISDN or cable modems (some even
have access to T1s or better) and can literally flood the
groups with posts. All this does is decrease the amount
of time the posts stay on the servers, so fewer people
get them and more repost requests are generated. If
you have a high-speed connection be conscious of the
fact that most people here do not, and shorter expire
times get everyone agitated. Start SLOWLY. If you are
not sure it will be welcomed, wait awhile. We know that
many are anxious to contribute, to pay back the group
for what they have been able to get. But another post of
the current Norton Utilities or Cleansweep will not really
help. They already get posted a couple of times a week.
If you are patient, you will eventually see everything you
wanted and more. And you will learn what is needed and
what is not. And NEVER post for the first time without
first posting to a test group to ensure that your settings
are adjusted correctly. If you screw up, you will be
flamed, and rightfully so for wasting so much bandwidth
with a useless binary. Even most long-time regular
contributors post to a test group first whenever they
upgrade their newsreader.
Q: Should I post shareware or freeware?
A: NO. Shareware posting is inappropriate, unless the
version you have is cracked or otherwise unavailable to
the general public (instead just post a link to the
shareware site).
Q: Should I post games?
A: NO. Games should be posted in alt.binaries.games
(or a similar group ? see Appendix B ). Requests for
games should also be made there. If the game is unique
or of special interest, just post a simple message with a
subject line such as: "Attn all - New Game X posted in
a.b.games."
Q: Should I post cracks or serial numbers?
A: NO. These should be posted in alt.binaries.cracks (or
a similar group ? see Appendix B ). Requests for cracks
should also be made there. Check out the Crack FAQ.
Q: How long should I wait to post a repost request?
A: DAYS, not hours. Anything LESS than a MINIMUM of
5 days will be ignored or flamed by most experienced
posters. No one owes you anything! The random nature
of NNTP propagation means that parts of messages may
come in days later. Posting requested files before they
have a chance to expire from servers only places
redundant files on the servers and drives up expiry
rates. Be patient (also see Rules#1, 2 & 3). Further, if
you have a weak news server, don't ask! Go get a new
server instead (see Rule#2).
Q: If I only have parts of a program, should I post
what I have with a request for the rest?
A: NO! Do this and and you will have your head handed
to you on a platter! This is known as a HWIH post
(Here's What I Have - fill in the rest). Do not post
partials except to fill a specific request for those pieces.
To do otherwise will simply result in more people
missing the same pieces you are, and that generates
more requests. But even more than that it is an
egregious waste of valuable bandwidth which clogs up
the group with worthless binaries that contribute to
pushing complete programs off the servers and
shortening expire times for everyone including you. If
you are missing pieces of a program, simply request the
parts you are missing. HWIH posts are THE supreme
irritant for almost everyone in the groups and is an
excellent way to be completely ignored by everyone
(after they're done roasting you) who can help you.
Q: Can I ask for installation help?
A: First read any information files contained in the
program zips. These are generally .nfo (info) files, but
may be .txt or .doc. There may also be useful
information in the 0/ file. If it won't run, read the
information files again (RTFM). If it still won't run, ask
your question. Most of the readers are willing to offer
help and advice on installation or any other relevant
topic. Be aware that some groups on usenet have
companion groups for discussion. These normally have
the same name as the main group with an additional
".d" at the end, or the word "discussion" in the group
name. If such a group exists it is appropriate to ask your
questions in that group, rather than the main one.
Q: What are .nfo files and how do I open them?
A: .nfo files contain related info about the program, such
as install instructions or serial numbers, as well as
information on the release groups and couriers who so
graciously distribute the warez; people with access to
0-day (newly-released) warez ftp sites then post it to
Usenet. These files can be viewed with notepad,
quickview or any text editor. Inside a zip, they can also
be viewed with WinZip's Internal ASCII Text Viewer.
Always check file_id.diz for info as well. For easy
viewing, create an association with notepad for .diz and
.nfo files. It is considered a courtesy to leave these files
intact if you plan on posting the archives.
Q: Should I worry about being embarrassed for
asking a newbie question?
A: No. So long as you have read this FAQ and done your
best to RTFM, most folks are willing to answer
questions not covered here or in your PC and newsreader
help files. Everyone here was a newbie once. If you
receive a facetious answer, ignore it. Most regulars in
these groups are genuinely interested in helping others.
Not every answer can be put into a FAQ, only the most
frequently asked questions are intended to be here.
However, if you fail to read your newsreader
documentation or this FAQ carefully, and you ask a
question answered in those places, you will get heated
responses. RTFM!!!
Q: Should I respond to a "Warez FTP site" message?
A: No. Most are trolls designed to entice you in. By
responding with your "me too," you expose yourself to
the warez world as a total moron. At best you will begin
receiving commercial e-mail (junk mail), at worst you
may be subjected to harassment, mail bombing, or
worse. You should never post your personal e-mail
address anyway. You may be wondering, "But can ALL of
these people replying be wrong?" A: YES! Just check
this out!
Q: Should I respond to a message offering to send me
anything via e-mail?
A: No. See the above question. Don't be foolish. Follow
the link for hoax information.
Q: Should I request that someone e-mail files to me?
A: NO. Think about this one for a minute. Is your
e-mailbox even large enough to hold the program? If
not, it will be returned to the sender, taking him just as
long to get it back from you as he did to send it. Why
should anyone do this anyway? It would be much better
for them to post it in the group, where everyone can
enjoy it. It is considered foolish and marks you as a
lamer even to ASK for files by e-mail.
Q: How do I decompress .zip files?
A: Get WinZip. The file you will get is a self-extracting
archive. Setup is a snap. After downloading a .zip file,
just double-click on it. Easy. Get Pkzip for DOS Some
people prefer to work with the DOS version. If you take
the time to learn it, it can be more flexible.
Q: How do I decompress these .arj and .a01, .a02,
etc. files?
A: Get Arj.exe. ARJ is not as easy to use as WinZip,
but is much more powerful. ARJ is typically used to split
a large file into smaller, more postable pieces. Don't
use WinARJ, use plain old DOS ARJ (widely available;
follow the link at the beginning of this answer). Open a
DOS box in the directory where the .arj files are located
(MS Powertoys Command Prompt Here is great for this
under Win95).
Q: How do I decompress these .001, .002, .003, etc.
files?
A: That depends. They could be either ARJ files (see
above), RAR files (see below) or even JAR files (see
below). Try ARJ first. If they don't decode, then try RAR.
Some posters will tell you which format in the .nfo files
or the 0/ file of the post.
Q: How do I decode these .rar, .r01, .r02, etc. files?
A: Get RAR (or more specifically, its companion
program, unrar) or WinRAR. The procedure and
commands are much the same as for ARJs. An example
might be: [unrar x -v -y msoffice.rar d:\temp]. if there
is no .rar file, use the lowest numbered extension. Also,
remember that unrar.exe must be in your PATH or
present in the directory.
Q: How do I decode these Jar32 or Jar16 archive
files?
A: Get JAR32 or JAR16. This is a relatively new
archiving tool by the same author as ARJ. It is NOT in
general use in the groups as of this writing, but it
appears to have good compression and will preserve
long file names.
Q: Why would someone zip an .arj file?
A: Three reasons are usually given: (1) it allows the
poster to enclose information files in the zip, (2) it is
rumored that zips transmit more reliably than .arjs, and
(3) damaged zips can sometimes be repaired (see
Appendix C). Of these, #1 is probably the most
accurate.
Q: How do I unzip more than one zip file at a time?
A: Get Pkzip for DOS. An example might be: [pkunzip -o
-d *.zip d:\temp]. The [-o] switch ("oh" not "zero")
overwrites previously existing files such as duplicate
file_id.diz and .nfos. The [-d] switch restores/creates
directory structure stored in the .ZIP file. Remember that
pkunzip.exe must be in your PATH or present in the
directory.
Q: I can't read the entire subject line. What should I
do?
A: There are several ways to solve this problem if you
are using Agent. First, make sure that Agent is
displaying the headers as a full screen, not the
multi-pane default view (just click on the maximize
window icon). Second, reduce the size of the browser
font [options | display preferences]. Third, make sure
that the browser font is not bold. Finally, if you still
can't read the entire subject line, just click the
send-follow-up-message icon. You can read the entire
line and scroll if necessary. Then, just click the close
window box. If you are using another newsreader, refer
to its documentation. And don't be part of the problem
when you post. Try to keep your headers under 55
characters.
Q: I can't get a complete message in one group. Can I
join sections of the same message from two different
groups?
A: Usually. If using Agent, try this: Create a new folder
under "Groups." Call the new folder "temp," "scratch," or
anything you'd like. Use the "Manage Folder Menus"
option to bring this new folder into the list that appears
when you right click on a header. Then, simply retrieve
the headers (simple retrieve, not launch or save
attachments) from the different groups, right click on
them after you have retrieved them, and send them to
your "WORK" folder. You then can select them, right
click, and select "manually decode attachments" to put
them in the proper order. Note- this only works if they
are in the same message or, frequently, a repost of the
message BY THE SAME POSTER. If he/she has not
changed the line length of the attachment section, it will
generally work.
Q: What are all these meaningless combinations of
letters I see in the articles?
A: They are a form of Internet Shorthand. Some common
ones are: TIA ? thanks in advance. Plz ? please, Thx ?
thanks, <g> - grin, <BG> - big grin, <BFG> - big
fucking grin, RTFM ? Read The Fucking Manual, FOAD
? Fuck Off And Die, ESAD - Eat Shit And Die, WTMKF ?
Welcome To My Kill File, PLONK! ? Person Leaving Our
Newsgroup: Killfiled (you have been kill filed), PITA -
Pain In The Ass, KUTGW ? Keep Up The Good Work,
BTW ? By The Way, IMHO ? In My Humble Opinion,
LMAO - Laughing My Ass Off, ROTFLMAO - Rolling On
The Floor Laughing My Ass Off, [snip] ? portions of the
original message to which I'm replying, and which are
unrelated to my reply, have been deleted.
For some of the more common acronyms you might see,
check this out.
Netiquette
Q: What is the proper way to request?
A: ONCE per day, per newsgroup. Multiple requests
(i.e. one right after the other- sometimes called a
"billboard" or "vertical spam") are rude and will be
ignored or flamed by the most experienced readers. This
is very important! In extreme cases you may be added
to their kill filter which screens out all future messages
from you. As far as they are concerned you will simply
disappear. This is unfortunate as they are the ones most
likely to be able to provide the stuff you need. The
generally accepted format is "REQ: Program X version
#.# disk #, [archive name] filename.xxx"
Q: Should I signify how desperate/urgently/badly I
want a program?
A: No. "Norton Utilities needed urgently" will totally
discredit you. No one dies from software deficiency. If
you need it that badly, then go out and buy it. Similarly,
requests that beg and plead or say "I will
eat/stuff/screw (fill in the blank) for XX prog", are the
mark of a lamer and are generally ignored or flamed.
Q: iS it KewL tO Use fuNky TyPE or symbols in mY
SubjECt liNES?
A: Not even close to cool. It is difficult to read and
widely regarded as immature. For an example of a
particularly poor header, someone once blessed us with:
[?|? ?? ;???? G?T ?]_]_ 3?]\/[?x ?? Z?g?]. You are
much more likely to get a response using standard type.
Q: IS ALL CAPS CONSIDERED OKAY?
A: NO. It is the Internet equivalent of SHOUTING. Use
it sparingly.
Q: I have asked and asked, but no one has uploaded
my REQ. What gives?
A: It could be any one of several things. Perhaps no one
has what you asked for. Perhaps, before you got smart
enough to read and follow these guidelines, you pissed
everybody off and they kill filtered you. Perhaps nobody
feels like uploading anything right now. This is Usenet,
not real life. There is no "refund desk" or complaint
department. Nobody owes you anything, and you don't
owe them. If this fact is too hard for you, find another
hobby. We really don't want to hear it.
Q: The Internet is a total anarchy, right? So is it okay
to use racial slurs and other patently offensive
language?
A: NO. This group is devoted to software. Not race,
politics, religion, sexual preferences, etc. Just software.
Period. End of discussion. Subject closed. Take it
somewhere else.
Q: Is Intel better than Cyrix? Is the PC better than
the Mac?
A: We don't care here. Take it somewhere else. And
please don't cross post this kind of stuff to warez
groups.
Q: Will I get a better response if I cross-post my REQ
to all of the warez groups and crack groups?
A: NO. Experienced usenet readers do not like excessive
cross-posts (ECP) and such posts can be detected by
some of the cancelbots, so they will be eliminated and
not reach any audience at all. There are always
exceptions, but generally, if you MUST cross-post, try
not to post to more than three groups at a time. ECP
will subject you to flaming and land you in kill files.
Q: Do I have to follow all of these rules?
A: NO. No one owns the Internet and no rules are
mandatory. However, newsgroups are based on voluntary
association. If you don't like the folks here, simply
leave. If they don't like you, you will be ignored. If,
however, you are an intelligent and reasonable person
who wants to make the most out of the time spent here,
you would be well advised to stay within the yellow
lines. And by all means, BE PATIENT! (see Rule#1)
This FAQ has been compiled by readers of
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc and its companion discussion
group alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.d.
Revision 2.1.1 11/22/97
Domain Services Provided By
www.skuz.net
?1997 www.warezfaq.org. Original document
published 2/21/96 by the Inner Circle. All information herein
has been written, compiled, and edited by the Inner Circle
and other members of the warez community.
============================================================================
--- PART II --- APPENDICES ---
============================================================================
The Usenet Warez FAQ
-Appendices-
Appendix A
POSTING TECHNIQUES
1) Get a suitable newsreader. Although some prefer
Anawave Gravity or WinVN, the overwhelming majority
of the folks around here use Agent. Get it. Learn it.
Read the help files.
Free Agent is a freeware off-line newsreader. It offers
limited send e-mail capability, but does not receive
e-mail. Agent is the commercial version of Free Agent
and contains many new features, including POP3 or SMTP
e-mail reception, address books, kill/watch lists, URL
launching, and cross-post management. Some of the
more popular newsreaders are:
Agent (Also see the unofficial Agent FAQ and Agent
Modified FAQ and official Forte Agent FAQ )
Anawave Gravity
WinVN
2) Setting up Agent: Go to [Options | User and System
Profile | User] and fill in ALL the fields. Don't leave any
fields blank since friendly servers will put some default
info in them. Additionally, many servers will not allow
posting unless there is data in all fields. *?s work fine
for most, but some servers require something in the
format of [blahblah@blah.blah] in the e-mail address
field.
3) Set your newsreader to post in 10,000 to 15,000
line messages. This is crucial! Any larger messages may
be refused by your server, or a gateway along the route,
any smaller messages just clutter screens. In Agent, go
to [Group | Default Properties | Send Files]. Make sure
that "send large messages as multiple messages is
checked." Set the number of bytes per section to
somewhere between 630000 and 945000. It is best to
start higher and go lower only if required due to timing
out when posting, but never go below 10,000 lines.
{Conditions of the Usenet sometimes create exceptions
to this situation- read the group carefully and you will
know when and why. At certain times a byte size of
500,000 (7936 lines) maximum is recommended.} If
your server still refuses to cooperate, try changing these
settings in your agent.ini file (in your Agent directory):
[Timing]
GetHostByNameTimeout=90
ConnectTimeout=60
ResponseTimeout=600
PostResponseTimeout=600
SendTimeout=300
PostTimeout=600
SplashTime=1
SMTPSessionTimeout=300
If your server still refuses to cooperate, get a better
server (see Rule #2 )!
4) Post in manageable pieces. The commonly accepted
size is 3?" floppy-sized pieces (for obvious reasons).
DO NOT post in one big zip (OBZ) or attach multiple
files to the same header (which is also an OBZ); this is
universally despised by experienced readers and they
will respond harshly for your waste of bandwidth with a
useless binary. The reason behind this is simple: NNTP
propagation is unreliable, especially on news servers
that are not well connected. If someone gets 12 out of
13 parts of an OBZ, it is nearly impossible to recreate.
There is NO way for you to repost this single segment.
On the other hand, if this same program were posted in,
say, 5 "disks," it would be a simple matter for you (or
someone else) to upload the missing "disk."
If you've got a program in disk-sized pieces or disks,
post it that way! If all you have is a CD or OBZ, use ARJ
to break it into manageable pieces (see Appendix C).
5) Test post to test groups ONLY. (e.g. alt.test,
alt.binaries.test etc.) Do not test post to binary or
discussion groups.
6) Use a descriptive and complete subject header. A
good header would include the disk number being
posted, the total number of disks, and the program's
name and version number. A good subject line might
read: "FILE:[or REPOST:] Program Name v3.0.5 -01 of
20- read 0/ file." Another similar considerate idea is to
first post a message with a brief description of the
program, the .nfo file from the packager, or any other
information that a downloader might find useful. If you
want to shorten the number of disks, use 3\12 (i.e. the
backslash). Using the forward slash can confuse some
news readers into thinking it is part 3 of 12 for a single
segment and cause difficulty when decoding. But
remember, people with 14" monitors have to read this;
try to keep your headers under 55 characters and
spaces.
7) Don't forget the serial #! If one is required, and it
is not in the .nfo file, it is best included in the first zip
as "serial.txt."
8) Include the version number in the subject line.
9) Make sure that the program works. If you are new
and are unfamiliar with other ways to evaluate an
untested program, install and try it out first. You should
be aware, however, that people posting "zero-day/0-day"
warez seldom have the time to test these programs.
They bring you newly-released software often before it
even hits the shelves in stores. There are no guarantees
in warez and it does not ALWAYS work as advertized.
With experience, the seasoned posters have found
methods of evaluation which save time but are NOT
foolproof. Always read a poster's 0/file, it will often
mention whether or not a program has been tested. If
you don't like it, then don't download it.
10) Scan the program for viruses. Even if you haven't
installed the program yourself, someone else will and
may infect their system. You then run the risk of
catching that same virus from one of their infected
uploads. (How much do you know about virii?)
11) Don't rename the files. There may be several
versions of the program floating around. For instance,
off9701.zip and MSO97_01.zip may actually be
incompatible. Renaming either file to a third name can
only make things worse.
12) Wait a MINIMUM of five days before reposting
ANY files for ANY reason. Increased participation in
everything 'internet' has made traffic a big problem.
When a program is posted you may see pieces of it
almost at once, but some pieces MAY take different
routes and not arrive for days. Most (though not all)
servers expire binary posts in five days or less. If you
repost part or all of the app for some people in less time
than that, it will be a duplicate on most of the servers
which will then expire posts more quickly to make room
for it. As expire times shorten, repost REQs rise, so
everyone just has to WAIT.
Appendix B
OTHER RESOURCES
Usenet
There are many other newsgroups involved in the warez
scene. By looking at the groups that messages are cross
posted to, you can get a good idea of where the action
is. There are also some documents that you should have
read as soon as you came to the Usenet.
Some General Usenet Information; Omit this
material from your education at your peril.
THE USENET FAQ
THE USENET POSTING FAQ
A PRIMER ON HOW TO WORK WITH THE
USENET COMMUNITY
Other Usenet Groups related to warez, games, and
cracks
alt.2600.warez
alt.binaries.cracks
alt.binaries.cracks.phrozen-crew
alt.binaries.games
alt.binaries.misc
alt.binaries.pictures.leek
alt.binaries.pictures.utilities
alt.binaries.warez
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.d (the "d" signifies a
discussion group- even though the word
"binaries" is there)
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc (This is the binary
group for which the preceding one is the
discussion group)
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.dos
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.games
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.old
alt.binaries.warez.mac
alt.cracks
alt.warez
alt.warez.ibm-pc.apps
alt.warez.ibm-pc.games
alt.warez.ibm-pc.old
Encrypted Groups:
alt.binaries.cracks.encrypted
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.encrypted
alt.binaries.games.encrypted
alt.ipl.discussion (start here)
These groups require a solid working knowledge of PGP
encryption. If you haven't yet mastered both Usenet and
PGP, just forget it for awhile. Don't even attempt to post
there without first learning the ropes! Lurk in
alt.ipl.discussion and ask your questions there if you
are interested. There are several who will be more than
happy to help you out, and they will point you to their
FAQ.
WWW
Do a Web search (AltaVista is highly recommended)
using keywords such as: warez, cracks, crackz, serial
numbers, serials, serialz. There is a staggering variety of
information out there.
FTP
The best way to get reliable FTP information is to visit
the warez channels in IRC. If someone posts an FTP site
in the newsgroups, it is highly unlikely that it will be
profitable to even try to connect. There are at least
three reasons for this: (1) by the time the Usenet
message gets to your server, the site is cold, (2) if the
site is not cold, it will be jammed with hundreds of
warez hounds, and (3) they are often bait for the
ignorant. Don't waste your time.
ENCRYPTION & NYM CREATION
This is a complex subject that will require time and
patience to master. The following links contain excellent
information as well as additional links.
The best combined resource for PGP and Nym
creation from Thanatopsis (A truly great resource.)
Beginners' Guide to PGP and Internet Privacy (Just
what it says.)
The MIT distribution site for PGP (You can obtain PGP
here if you are a U.S. or Canadian citizen. It is free.
Current U.S. law prohibits distribution to other
countries.)
PGP & Remailers made simple (An excellent starting
point for beginners.)
MIT Public Key Server (You can find someone's PGP
Public key on a key server. All key servers exchange
information daily.)
Appendix C
ARCHIVE PROCEDURES
COMPRESSION UTILITIES
WinZIP, WinRAR, ARJ v. 2.60 (released 10/97), and
Jar32 will handle long file names; PKZIP and previous
versions of ARJ will NOT.
Pkzip for
DOS
WinZip
ARJ 2.60 for
DOS
Archiver
Comparisons
RAR for
DOS &
WinRAR
JAR32/16
for DOS and
WIN95/NT
ARJ User's
Manual
Less
Common
Archivers
The basic ARJ Command Line:
Use the following command syntax to decompress: [arj x
-v -y filename.### (optional: destination path]. The [x]
command tells ARJ that you are extracting with paths
included, the [-v] switch tells ARJ that your are working
with a multiple-volume archive, and the [-y] switch tells
ARJ not to prompt you for confirmation of each
extraction. The ### extension represents the lowest
numbered extension of the ARJ archives, which may be
in the form of .a01, .a02, etc. or .001, .002, etc. If there
is a file present with an .arj extension, you do not have
to specify an extension (the .arj file is the first in the
archive by default). An example of this might be: [arj x
-v -y msoffice.a01 d:\temp], which would recreate the
Office archive in your d:\temp directory.
Note that arj.exe (and other DOS archive utilities you
use) must either be in your PATH (specified in your
autoexec.bat) or must be present in the same directory
where you are running it. If you don't have an
autoexec.bat at all, just copy arj.exe into the directory
with the .arj archive files or copy it into c:\windows or
c:\windows\command (which are in Win95?s default
PATH).
Testing Archives:
It's a good idea to test ALL compressed files as you
download them to check for CRC errors. From a DOS box,
issue the command [pkunzip -t *.zip] or [arj t *.a??]. Be
aware that if you are in the process of downloading a file
into that directory then the incomplete file will give you
an error message.
If you have a damaged zip file, try the procedures below.
If that doesn't work, you must obviously get another
copy. First try to download another copy to see if you
simply had a transmission error during the last
download. If the new copy is still corrupted, wait at
least 5 days before requesting a repost.
Damaged Archives and CRC Errors:
The reason it's a good idea to zip an ARJ file is because
Pkzip comes with a utility called Pkzipfix, which will help
to reconstruct a damaged zip file under SOME
circumstances.
ARJ has no such utility. If you test an ARJ file with the
command [arj t filename.arj] and it comes back with a
CRC error, it cannot be repaired.
On the other hand, if you test a zip file with the
command [pkunzip -t filename.zip] and it reports errors,
you have a 50-50 chance that you can fix it with the
command [Pkzipfix filename.zip]. This procedure will
create a new file called pkfixed.zip.
Now you test this file with the command [pkunzip -t
pkfixed]. If it comes back with no errors, you give the
command [copy /y pkfixed.zip filename.zip] to rename it
back to the original filename. You may now erase
pkfixed.zip.
This is considerable effort to salvage just one file, but if
you've been searching for months for that last disk in a
50 disk set and you've finally found it and its got CRC
errors, the effort is well worth it.
Alternate Procedure for Damaged Archives:
Some CRC errors are the result of the way Agent
decodes the file. If the original arj file isn't damaged,
some CRC errors can be resolved by doing the
following:
In Agent, split the message into separate sections.
Retrieve the first part of the message, and save it as a
Unix text file with an extension of *.001. Next, retrieve
the remaining sections (in order), and when saving,
check the "Append to existing file" box, and save it to
the .001 file.
Now run the *.001 file through Wincode 2.6 or higher
(freeware), and it should yield a workable file. Test it to
be sure. For more information on using UUDECODE to
save binary file attachments also see UUDECODE
Creating a Postable Archive from One Big Zip (or any
archive):
ARJ is used to split large files into manageable pieces.
ARJ can archive an entire directory into floppy-sized
archive files called volumes. When the user on the other
end unarj?s your volumes the original files are recreated
with the directory structure intact.
If you issue the command [arj a -r -v1440 -y
c:\temp\filename d:\dirofprogram\*.*], ARJ will compress
all the files and sub directories into floppy sized pieces
and name them filename.arj, filename.a01,
filename.a02, etc. until the whole thing is compressed
into volumes.
To unarj it all you need to do is issue the command [arj
x -v -y filename c:\]. ARJ will decompress all files and
sub directories in the original order on your hard drive.
You may now run the setup program.
If you ever need a quick refresher of the commands just
type [arj] to view a list of frequently used commands
and switches or [arj -?] to view an exhaustive list of
every command and switches. A good reference site for
ARJ operations is John Poz's Unofficial ARJ Help File.
This FAQ has been compiled by readers of
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc and its companion discussion
group alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.d.
Revision 2.1.1 11/22/97
Domain Services Provided By
www.skuz.net
?1997 www.warezfaq.org. Original document
published 2/21/96 by the Inner Circle. All information herein
has been written, compiled, and edited by the Inner Circle
and other members of the warez community.
============================================================================
Do Not Edit This FAQ. Any errors may be directed to the
ATTN of www.warezfaq.org in alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.d
At their discretion, it will be taken into account at the next revision.
============================================================================
NOTE: The links in the preceding sections have not been reproduced in
this plain text version. You must visit http://www.warezfaq.org to get
the full working HTML version. But here are a few of them:
AGENT news reader: http://www.forteinc.com
USENET FAQ:
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/usenet/faq/part1/faq.html
Crack FAQ: http://www.skuz.net/crackfaq
WinZip: http://www.winzip.com
Pkzip for DOS: http://www.pkware.com/
ARJ 2.60 for DOS: http://www.arjsoft.com/
RAR for DOS & WinRAR: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/2797/
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