ARC+File+Format

ARC File Format

The ʺ.ARCʺ file format is similar to the ZIP or RAR file formats in that they usually are archives containing various other files.

Though not commonly used today, you may see older software or software packages for Unix machine compressed using this format.

The history of the .ARC file format is an interesting one, involving lawsuits and the eventual creation of the ZIP file format.

Though very few utilities may exist on the Internet to create these archives (and using such utilities is not recommended as better archive formats are available), if you need to decompress ARC files, try the following:‐


 * StuffIt ‐ versions for Macintosh, Windows, Linux, and Solaris


 * WinZip for Windows supports ARC but requires external software –

Here is where can you find the external programs required for ARC, ARJ, and LHA files?

You can obtain ARC, ARJ, and LHA from the following Internet sites (among others). ftp.coast.net is the main mirror site for the SimTel software repository.

Most of the other sites are mirrors of this site.

You can gain access to an ftp site by using a URL of:‐ ftp://sitename (e.g., ftp://ftp.simtel.net).

Site names Directory File name

ftp.simtel.net pub/simtelnet/msdos/arcers arce40g.zip

arj275.exe

lha255e.exe

nic.funet.fi pub/msdos/Simtel/arcers arce40g.zip

arj275.exe

lha255e.exe

The current release of ARJ, version 2.82, can be downloaded from the ARJ web site:‐

[]

To access ARC files one of the following programs is required:

ARCE.COM and ARC‐E.COM version 4.0e ‐ Vern Bergʹs ARC extraction utility, available on CompuServe and other bulletin boards.

WinZip was not tested with earlier versions.

PKXARC.COM version 3.5 from PKWARE, Inc.

WinZip was not tested with earlier versions.

This program is still available on some bulletin boards.

PKXARC.EXE version 3.6 from PKWARE, Inc.

This program is still available on some bulletin boards.

PKUNPAK.EXE version 3.61 from PKWARE, Inc.

This program is still available on some bulletin boards.

ARC.EXE version 5.20 or 6.0 from System Enhancement Associates, Inc.

This is the last version of ARC available as shareware, and is still available on some bulletin boards.

WinZip was not tested with earlier versions.

SEAʹs address is 925 Clifton Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013.

Note:‐

Like WinZip, the ARJ, ARC, and PKXARC programs are not free software.

As with all shareware, if you use these programs you should register them with the appropriate vendor.

The ARC‐E and LHA programs are free