12-15-2007, 10:15 AM

The http://stnv.net website carries episodes of the fanfilm project, "Star Trek New Voyages." All files there are self-extracting RAR files with an ".EXE" extension. Is there any Mac utility that will recognize them as valid RAR archives and unpack them? Apparently, according to an acquaintence, Stuffit Expander won't even recognize these files as anything.

12-15-2007, 10:38 AM

dunno about the .exe bit but an app called unrar can usually decode these files

http://www.unrarx.com/

12-17-2007, 06:51 AM

Thanks. As a matter of fact, I've got a funny tale to tell. After I posted my note here, I contacted a "Mac consultant" in my hometown ... asking him if it was possible for a Mac to open up a self-extracting RAR archive with an ".exe" extension. I also sent an email to UnRarX support asking them if their software could do it.

The consultant said he could do it ... but that it had to be done with some sort of command-line function via Stuffit Deluxe ... and said the procedure was not something most novices would tackle. Then, I got a reply from the UnRarX people ... saying their software couldn't do it.

In the meantime, I got an email from a Mac user who visited my site who said he opened them all the time. His procedure?

1) Download the self-extracting RAR file with an ".exe" extension.

2) Rename the file extension from ".exe" to ".rar".

3) Open and extract with UnRarX.

Apparently, when the file extension is changed to ".rar," UnRarX ignores any ".exe" conventions in the file and recognizes it as a valid RAR archive (grin).

So, problem solved. Still, it does leave me scratching my head. Why didn't someone who does Mac consulting for a living know this simple procedure ... and even stranger, why didn't UnRarX know their own software had this capability? Woo-woo.

12-17-2007, 09:16 AM

Welcome to Mac-forums, AlecWest.

I imagine this workaround works because it is a compressed file and not a pure Windoze .exe file?

In any case, I am glad you got it solved.