Help!!! : open a saved template file

**bmangraphix** · 30 November 2007, 05:32 PM

Has anyone had the problem of all of a sudden not being able to open a saved template file (.xar)?
I get an error when I try to open a file that I am working out of daily and I cannot retrieve it through my means.
Does anyone have any suggestions please?
appreciate any help.
brian

**amoore** · 30 November 2007, 06:13 PM

Try the recovery utility, ExpandXar.

Go to http://support.xara.com, and look for it under Download Categories.

**AndFarr** · 30 November 2007, 06:16 PM

Or open a saved file made from the template and go on from there.
- AF

**bmangraphix** · 30 November 2007, 08:34 PM

I appreciate your response, I downloaded expand.xar but did not find any specific instructions in the read me file.
I tried to open expand.xar but nothing happened.
Any further suggestions before i submit a ticket?

**steve.ledger** · 30 November 2007, 09:05 PM

This is a command line utility and needs you to enter the syntax as described in the readme.txt which is packed with the expandxar.exe

If you try to run it from the desktop it will just flash open and close.
Copy expandxar.exe to the same folder as the corrupt .xar file

ExpandXar Utility

Syntax:

ExpandXar <input file> <output file>

<input file> being your corrupt .xar <outputfile> being the name you want the fixed file saved as.

Press START then RUN and type CMD. Press OK (or enter) to start a CMD window. Navigate (type HELP for a list of available commands to help here) to the folder that contains expandxar.exe and your corrupt file, then use the syntax indicated above.

**bmangraphix** · 30 November 2007, 10:07 PM

Sledger,
Thanks for the info, that sounds like what I need to do...
I tried it per your directions and got stuck in the cmd box where I am supposed to navigate to the folder where I have saved a copy of expand.xar and the file but I think I am over my head with the syntax stuff and the cmd box...not a lot of experience in that dept.
So now I dont know what to do.

**steve.ledger** · 30 November 2007, 10:40 PM

For the purpose of these instructions, the arrow symbol ( -> ) means next

Copy expandxar.exe and the corrupt .xar file to a new folder on your desktop named 'fix' (without quotes)

START -> RUN -> type CMD press ENTER

You should see C:\users\username (for Vista)
or C:\Documents and Settings\username (for XP)

Type (without quotes) 'CD desktop' -> Press Enter
Type (without quotes) 'CD fix' -> Press enter

Type (without quotes) 'expandxar <filename>.xar <outputname>.xar'

(this should look something like this: (without quotes) 'expandxar corruptfilename.xar newname.xar')

Press enter.

Hopefully the output file will be a fixed result for you.

**bmangraphix** · 30 November 2007, 11:42 PM

Sledger,
thank you, the CMD is giving me a Do Import failed

**remi** · 01 December 2007, 12:08 AM

It seems, your file is corrupt. I'm sure, that the Xara support can't help you with this. Use your backup software and recover a old version of your template.

Remi

**raynerj1** · 01 December 2007, 06:26 AM

If it was a modified template, then you will just have to rebuild it. If not, then which one do you need? The standard templates are just .xar files stored in the template directory. Anybody here could post the stock templates.