Re: Self Decrypting Archive Freeware?

From: David Eather (eather_at_tpg.com.au)
Date: 05/01/05 

Date: Mon, 2 May 2005 04:43:08 +1000

mike wrote:
> David Eather wrote:
>
>> You don't need a Dos version - Dos as wee know it will not exist in
>> 10 years - you just need the file format that can be read by a then
>> current compression program. A heap of freeware programs have that
>> compatibility or just use the shareware WinZip - buy it if it makes
>> you feel better.
>>
>
> This is absolutely FALSE!!!!!!
> The medium that contains the archive will have the bootable dos that's
> required to unarchive it. I don't need to care what's available in
> the future. All I care about is that I have some old hardware that
> will run what I already have stored on the medium. Gots lotsa old
> hardware ;-)

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

So your going to bet your data not just on keeping some media in a
viable condition but also add the risk of an old piece of hardware
that will also need ten more years of life - more fool you.
Capacitors dry out, connections, sockets, plate throughs and tracks
corrode, batteries leak, moisture penetrates multi-layer boards and
if you are really unlucky daily temperature variations will cause
heat stress cycling of components, not to dwell on cockroaches, ants
and moths who also love old computers. And because you didn't take
care of it when you should have, you will be left with a bit of media
that either nothing will read or with data in a format that nothing
supports - you're really fooling yourself if you think your already
old DOS boot disk will work in the (near) future.

Good luck - you will need it.

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Version: PGP 8.1

iQA/AwUBQnUidJS9Fk5okqe7EQLIkQCg+d0iMN3lE3AxpfGAAXHQmnxL0rcAniyH
Cy/SLn2d6ECGie6tp5r1nHty
=7ylT
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>
> The problem with winzip is the win part. Yes, you can presumably
> archive a copy of windows, but that's a bit much.

You don't archive a copy of the operating system. By saving data in a
common format (like WinZip) you have assurance that the FORMAT will be
supported in the future by whatever ends up on a desktop.

> DOS is THE answer to all problems ;-)
> I think I remember a dos version of pkzip that can do password
> protection, but I can't find it.
> mike