Expanding Files from the Original Windows Disks (62277)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft Windows 3.0a
This article was previously published under Q62277

SUMMARY

Most of the files on the Microsoft Windows version 3.0 disks are in a compressed format. The only way to tell if these files are compressed is to compare the file sizes in your WINDOWS directory with the file sizes on the disks. The exception is the *.SYS files, which are marked compressed with a "$" as the last letter of the file extension. For example, HIMEM.SY$ is the compressed file for HIMEM.SYS.

MORE INFORMATION

To expand a single compressed file, use the EXPAND.EXE program. This program is located on the Windows Disk 2 on both the 1.2MB 5.25-inch and 720K 3.5-inch disk formats. For example, to expand CALC.EXE to the WINDOWS directory on Drive C, do the following:

  1. Copy EXPAND.EXE from the Windows Setup disk to the WINDOWS directory of your hard drive.
  2. Switch to the WINDOWS directory on Drive C.
  3. Insert the disk with CALC.EXE on it. This is located on Disk 3 of the 1.2MB 5.25-inch format and Disk 3 of the 720K 3.5-inch format.
  4. Type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt:

    EXPAND A:\CALC.EX_ C:\WINDOWS\CALC.EXE

If you try to expand a file that is already expanded, you receive the following message:
Input file <filename> already in expanded format
where <filename> is the name of the file you attempted to expand.

To expand more than one file at a time, refer to the "Putting Windows on a Network" Section on Page 553 of the "Microsoft Windows User's Guide."
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/7/2005
Keywords:KB62277
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.