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Unix executable documents

I was in the process of transfering documents from one Mac (eMac OS10.2) to an iBook (OS10.0 but mostly use classic 9.2). I used a travel drive that I have used numerous times with no problems. Some of the documents (word & powerpoint) changed to Unix Executable Documents while others did not.

I have no idea how this happened but I really need to open these documents! I have average comupter knowledge but this one stumps me as I have never seen this before. Can anyone help me at all...PLEASE?

iBook G3, Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Jul 26, 2006 7:28 PM

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Jul 26, 2006 8:47 PM in response to 3cats

What has happened is that these files have lost their resource-forks. It's sort of like an invisible shadow file that tells the system to open the files with your preferred program.

You can fix this in several ways. The easiest is probably to select (single-click) the file, and then hit the command (Apple) and i keys simultaneously (or go to the File menu and select "Get Info" and then a window pops up that lets you select what program you want to open the file with.

If you want to be able to open a file with word, the easiest thing is just to give it a .doc suffix.
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Jul 26, 2006 9:29 PM in response to 3cats

I tried your suggestion and this is what happened:

The icon changed from a desktop type picture to a picture of a piece of paper (document) and the document type changed. However, the files will still not open.

The powerpoint documents give a message of "...the file may be corrupt, in use, or of a type not recognized by Powerpoint".

Word documents usually bring up the convert text box but nothing there gives me the document. Just a lot of symbols.

Any other suggestions?
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Jul 26, 2006 9:31 PM in response to Bill Scott

I tried your suggestion and this is what happened:
The icon changed from a desktop type picture to a picture of a piece of paper (document) and the document type changed. However, the files will still not open.

The powerpoint documents give a message of "...the file may be corrupt, in use, or of a type not recognized by Powerpoint".

Word documents usually bring up the convert text box but nothing there gives me the document. Just a lot of symbols.
Any other suggestions?
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Jul 26, 2006 9:36 PM in response to 3cats

It sounds like the files are damaged. PowerPoint should not have essential info in the resource fork so they could be opened by PowerPoint under MSWIN. Since this is a shuttle drive, can you get back to the original files?
You may want to repair the disk with Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility).

Reese
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Jul 26, 2006 9:46 PM in response to reese_

The original files were on a computer at work that has now had the entire operating system re-done. That is why I had them on the travel drive. I brought them home so they would be safe. Hmmm....

Any other suggestions?
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Jul 27, 2006 9:31 AM in response to 3cats

Did Disk Utility Repair report OK?
Check the size on the files. If they are all the same and very small, often 8k. Then you are SOL.
If they have reasonable sizes then try adding the appropriate file extension. Also try to open the files from the within the Applications (cmd o), if you have the option select "all files". But your comment on the error message indicates the files are hosed.
As a last resort open the Terminal, type in the command strings <space> then drag one file onto the Terminal which will load the file path and <return>
The terminal should then display all of text data in the file. This might be the ticket for the word docs less useful for the PowerPoint docs.
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Jul 27, 2006 11:56 AM in response to 3cats

What version of Mac OS were you using when you wrote the files to the FAT32-formatted drive: OS X or OS 9?

If you were using OS X when you wrote the files to the drive, you must use an OS X computer to "look" at the files. Only an OS X Mac will be able to "see" the files properly. If you attempt to use the drive in an OS 9 Mac, the files written to it in OS X will appear improperly and won't work.

On the other hand, if you were using Mac OS 9 when you wrote the files to the drive, you will only be able to "see" the files properly from another OS 9 Mac. If you attempt to use the drive in OS X, the files written to it in OS 9 will appear as generic documents or as UNIX executable files, and will not be usable.

You've mentioned OS X 10.2, 10.0, and OS 9, but there's no way a file could appear as a UNIX executable file in any version of OS X prior to OS X 10.3.x, as that is when Apple first started labeling files as such. Prior to that, they would simply be a generic document.

It's quite possible that your files are not corrupt, and are still accessible, but we need precise details on what versions of Mac OS you were using and are currently using.

PS. Using the Get Info window to mark your preferred application is unlikely to fix this issue, since there is an underlying problem that we need to deal with. But we need more details to even begin with that.



Dual 2.7GHz PowerPC G5 w/ 2.5 GB RAM; 17" MacBook Pro w/ 2 GB RAM - Mac OS X (10.4.7)
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Jul 27, 2006 9:04 PM in response to MarkDouma®

I appreciate your efforts to help me.

Most of the documents were written on an iBook using 9.2. That is the computer I use at home and at work.

I also use an e-Mac at work which is OS10.3.9 (I went to work and checked the computer. I was wrong about the OS before)

And, sometimes I use a PC (required to by the boss), for certain types of work.

So, these files have been on all three computers, plus an external drive plus a travel drive.

Now all of the documents have a PC icon instead of the weird, blue desktop icon. I have been able to open three word documents. They are now safely saved in word and moved back to the iBook.

None of the PowerPoint documents will open but I can see most of them in the preview window when I use the open command from PowerPoint.

A few of the other word documents will open with simple text. They have all of the computer jargon/symbols but at least the substance of the document is present. I can save that and redo the formatting later.

So, now what?
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Jul 27, 2006 9:25 PM in response to reese_

The disk repair report was just fine.

The sizes of the documents is normal.

Adding an extension and opening within the program isn't working.

I have no idea what terminal is but I did find it on the E-mac. When you say to type in the command string are you referring to the <space> thing? Do I type that right after the stuff that is in the terminal window? After I drag the file onto the terminal do I type in the <return> or just push enter?

Terminal is way beyond my knowledge level but I am willing to try anything.

Thanks for your help thus far and your continued help:)
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Aug 6, 2006 10:47 PM in response to 3cats

My original problem still hasn't been solved. I was hoping it would magically take care of itself while I was on vacation. It didn't.

The documents no longer say Unix executable documents. The are just documents but they still do not open. Especially the powerpoint documents.

Any other ideas to help?

My last post gave the details on what OS system I was using, etc. I was hoping to hear more from the last gentleman (Mark Douma) as he sounded very helpful.

Help?
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Aug 7, 2006 8:07 AM in response to 3cats

Have you tried opening the powerpoint files in another similiar program. At work we had a few powerpoint files from a PC that had similiar problems that could be seen in the preview mode but would report the "file maybe damaged" error that opened fine in Keynote.

Not sure why but Keynote recognized it as a powerpoint file and converted it to a Keynote file. We later could bring it back to Powerpoint and run it there as well.
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Aug 7, 2006 11:36 AM in response to 3cats

Hi 3cats,

> Adding an extension and opening within
the program isn't working.


As Bill said, the resource forks (and some metadata) of the files have been lost so the files have been corrupted in some sense. Because Apple deprecated the use of the resource forks, newer version of M$ apps shouldn't need resource forks but a classic version of one of the apps may have created a file that is corrupt without the resource fork. That's a little hard to address.

I recommend trying to open the file with a Windoze version of the correct app. If you get something you can work with you should save the result. Even back in the classic days, M$ apps for Mac had to interoperate with the PC versions of the apps. Therefore, after you get something workable in a Windoze version of an M$ app, you should be able to open the saved document with a Mac version of the app. Of course there's no guarantee that the Windoze version of an M$ app will be able to open one of the corrupted documents but M$ is more concerned with making the Windoze versions of the apps appear to be robust.
--
Gary
~~~~
WARNING TO ALL PERSONNEL:

Firings will continue until morale improves.
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Unix executable documents

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