NOTE: The Extract program requires that you load Himem.sys
into memory in order to use it.
MORE INFORMATION
This article is organized as follows:
- Where to get the Extract utility
- How to interrupt the Extract program
- Copying an entire CAB file
- Extracting all files from a CAB file
- Displaying all files in a particular CAB file
- Locating a particular file in particular CAB
file
- Locating a particular file in an unknown CAB
file
- Extracting a single file from a particular CAB
file
- Extracting a single file from an unknown CAB
file
- Extracting certain types of files from a particular CAB
file
- Syntax of the EXTRACT utility
Where to Get the Extract Utility
The Extract utility is located on Disk 1 of each of the disk sets
listed above, except for Works 4.0 for Windows 95. Copy the file Extract.exe
from Disk 1 to your computer and place it in a directory on your path. To
extract files from the CAB files on the Works 4.0 disks, use the copy of
Extract.exe in your <Windows 95>\Command directory.
In order
to make best use of space, certain large files are spread among the disks.
How to Interrupt the Extract Program
You can cancel a running Extract program by pressing CTRL+C.
Copying an Entire CAB File
The syntax of this command is
extract /c <drive>:\<cabinetname> <destination>
where <drive> is the drive letter, <cabinetname> is
the name of the cabinet file you want to copy, and <destination> is the
full path and filename of where you want the cabinet file to end up.
This command is necessary when you are copying an entire cabinet file from
floppy disks to a hard drive or network drive. If the cabinet file is already
on the hard drive or network drive, you can copy files to any hard drive or
network drive with a simple COPY command. The Extract utility is necessary only
when you are copying the file from floppy disks, because the floppy disks are
formatted in a new way, and require a special utility to read them.
For example, to copy a cabinet file named EXCEL2.CAB from drive A to the
directory C:\DISK2, use the following syntax:
extract /c a:\excel2.cab c:\disk2\excel2.cab
Extracting All Files from a CAB File
The syntax of this command is
extract /e /a /l <destination> <drive>:\<cabinetname>
The /E switch extracts all files on the specified cabinet(s).
The /A switch extracts all files on all disks, beginning with the
first cabinet specified. You can specify any cabinet file, and Extract will
search that cabinet file and all files that come after it. Be sure to place the
disk specified in the command line in the drive before executing this command.
The /L switch lists the locations of the files. First the
destination of the files expanded files is given, followed by a space and the
source of the cabinet files. If you omit this switch, Extract expands files
into the current directory.
For example, to copy all of the files
from all cabinets on all disks to the directory C:\FLAT, use the following
command (and place disk 1 in drive A:):
extract /e /a /l c:\flat a:\excel1.cab
To copy all of the files from the EXCEL4.CAB cabinet to the
current directory, use the following command:
To copy all of the files from the WORD5.CAB file to the directory
C:\DISK5, use the following command:
extract /e /l c:\disk5 a:\word5.cab
To copy all of the files from Word disks 5 through 7 to the
directory C:\DISKS, use the following command:
extract /e /a /l c:\disks a:\word5.cab
Displaying All Files in a Particular CAB File
The syntax of this command is
extract /d <drive>:\<cabinetname>
For example, to list all the files in EXCEL2.CAB, use the
following command:
Locating a Particular File in a Particular CAB File
The syntax of this command is
extract /d <drive>:\<cabinetname> <filename>
For example, to see if ODBC.DLL is located in the WORD7.CAB file,
use the following command:
extract /d a:\word7.cab odbc.dll
For example, to list all *.DLL files in the WORD7.CAB file, use
the following command:
extract /d a:\word7.cab *.dll
Locating a Particular File in an Unknown CAB File
The syntax of this command is
extract /a <drive>:\<firstcabinetname> /d <filename>
For example, to find the file SOLVER.XLA when you don't know
which cabinet it's in, use the following command to look on all disks, starting
with Disk 1 (be sure to place Disk 1 in the drive before you start):
extract /a a:\excel1.cab /d solver.xla
As Extract views the contents of each disk, it displays the name
of the cabinet file on the screen. When it finds the filename you are looking
for, it displays the file information on the screen.
NOTE: Extract
will continue to search the remaining disks to see if there is a duplicate
filename. You must watch the screen carefully to see when the file information
is displayed, and note the cabinet name that was displayed above it--this is
the cabinet you are looking for.
HINT: If the cabinet files are all
stored on a network drive or a hard drive, the cabinet names may scroll off the
screen before you can read them. Redirect the Extract output to a file, and
scroll through the file using Notepad or another text editor.
NOTE:
This method is not suitable for use with disks, as you receive no prompting
that Extract is waiting for the next disk.
Redirecting results to a text file
- Type the command above, adding a greater-than symbol (>)
and a text filename:
EXTRACT /A A:\EXCEL1.CAB /D SOLVER.XLA > LIST.TXT
- Press ENTER.
- The command-line prompt appears and a new file has been
created in the current directory. The file LIST.TXT can be opened and read with
any text editor.
Extracting a single file from a particular CAB file
The syntax of this command is
extract <drive>:\<cabinetname> filename /l
<destination>
For example, to extract the file CALENDAR.WIZ and copy it to the
C:\WINWORD\TEMPLATE directory, use the following command:
extract a:\word6.cab calendar.wiz /l c:\winword\template
Extracting a Single File from an Unknown CAB File
The syntax of this command is
Extract /A <Drive>:\<Cabinetname> <Filename> /L <Destination>
Extract searches all the cabinet files in sequential order and
then extracts the file once it is found.
For example, to extract the
MSSPEL2.DLL file from disks in drive A into the WINDOWS\MSAPPS\PROOF directory
on drive C, use the following command:
extract /a a:\word1.cab msspel2.dll /l c:\windows\msapps\proof
Extract will look at every cabinet file, beginning with the first
cabinet file you specified. When Extract finds the file, it extracts it, and
continues looking through the rest of the disks.
Extracting Certain Types of Files from a Particular CAB File
The syntax of this command is
extract <drive>:\<cabinetname> <filetype> <destination>
For example, to extract all the *.DLL files on Word's Disk 7, use
the following command:
EXTRACT A:\WORD7.CAB *.DLL D:\WINWORD
Syntax of the EXTRACT Utility
To obtain a complete list of command options for the
EXTRACT, insert Disk 1 and switch to the drive containing the disk. For
example, type "A:" without the quotation marks if the disk is in drive A. Then
type EXTRACT or EXTRACT /? at the command prompt to obtain a list of commands
for EXTRACT. You will see the list below:
EXTRACT [/Y] [/A] [/D | /E] [/L dir] cabinet [filename ...]
EXTRACT [/Y] source [newname]
EXTRACT [/Y] /C source destination
cabinet - Cabinet file (contains two or more files).
filename - Name of the file to extract from the cabinet. Wild cards and
multiple filenames (separated by blanks) may be used.
source - Compressed file (a cabinet with only one file).
newname - New filename to give the extracted file. If not supplied, the
original name is used.
/A Process ALL cabinets. Follows cabinet chain starting in first
cabinet mentioned.
/C Copy source file to destination (to copy from DMF disks).
/D Display cabinet directory (use with filename to avoid
extract).
/E Extract (use instead of *.* to extract all files).
/L dir Location to place extracted files (default is current
directory).
/Y Do not prompt before overwriting an existing file.