Access violation - heeelp?

[-=Drifter=-]

Sledger, I dl'd/installed ExpandXar and read the ReadMe file. When I double click or select Open for the .exe file all I get is a QUICK flash on the screen of a DOS box and then nothing.

[Soquili]

Bob the ExpandXar.exe is a command line utility program. To use it open a Command Prompt (DOS window). Use the DOS CD command to change to the directory where the corrupt file is located.

If the expandxar.exe is not in that directory as well, it must be in the command path.

At the command prompt you can type the word path and hit the enter key to see which directories are in the command path.


To use expandxar.exe the command line to type would be similar to:

C:> expandxar corrupt.xar expanded.xar

That is external command (the .exe filename)
the file that may be corrupt
then the filename for the expanded (and hopefully fixed) filename.

If expandxar.exe cannot read the file or encounters errors they will be shown in the command window.

[Helle]

hmmm, I was thinking, if you guys have access to a version of the file that "still" working, can you perhaps see what could be the issue?

I attach the file - just in case.......

Helle *hoping to know how to avoid this in the future"

[-=Drifter=-]

Yikers, Bill. That is a mouthful. I printed it out and will check into that tomorrow when I am more alert.....

[steve.ledger]

Using the command line can be a little confusing/daunting to many I agree.
What Xara and TG really needs is some smart cookie to develop a small front-end UI for the ExpandXar utility. This would greatly increase the use of and success rate of the repair tool I'm certain..

[-=Drifter=-]

Sounds like a job for AccessD!!! (Is that his name?)

[standay]

You can try the attached app. It's just a simple front end for the expandxar.exe I put together this morning. Extract the exe from the attached zip and put the expandxarfe.exe and the expandxar.exe into the same folder and run expandxarfe.exe. Give it a source file and an output file and it will "feed" those to the original executable. If it is able to expand your xar file it will say so in the memo field at the bottom of the screen. If it hits an error it should display that in the memo field at the bottom.

This is just a front end, if the original expandxar.exe couldn't fix your xar file before, then using the front end won't help any now. Also, no warranties on this front end, use at your own discretion!

Stan

Oh, and because of the way this front end works, it may or may not work in vista on a regular user account. I won't be at my vista machine until later so I can't test it now. You may have to run the front end as administrator in order for it to work.

[steve.ledger]

Stan - Excellent!! http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://www.talkgraphics.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

Works fine in Vista, though I do have UAC switched off.

This ought to be made available at the Xone.

Thank you for donating your time and efforts..

NOTE:
Stan one small problem, the folder from which expandxarfe.exe runs appears to be locked due to the console input method editor (conime.exe) not terminating properly. Trying to move or delete the contain folder holds explorer.exe open too.
Hope this helps

[standay]

Stan one small problem, the folder from which expandxarfe.exe runs appears to be locked due to the console input method editor (conime.exe) not terminating properly. Trying to move or delete the contain folder holds explorer.exe open too.
Hope this helps

Thanks for the info. Seems OK on XP but I was expecting some issues with vista. I'll look at it on a vista machine tonight and see if I can fix that. Anyone else have any problems with it let me know.

Stan

Edit: I googled this and it appears to be a known problem with console apps on vista not releasing the conime process. I've got some code that will probably fix it but I'll have to get on a vista machine to be able to troubleshoot it. If you are using vista you might wait to use the front end app until I get this addressed, however, it won't hurt anything other than locking the folder you are in temporarily. If you are on XP you should be good to go with the current version.

[Helle]

Hey guys

ehhh, did anybody give the cobra file a look to see what caused the error?

Helle :-)