Opening exec files in OS X

edcollalo52 · Jul 9, 2008, 06:25 PM

I have several files that show up as grey squares with a green 'exec' in the upper left hand corner. When I get Info on these files they are indicated to be Microsoft Word files. When I open them in MS Word, they display pages of gibberish random symbols. Is there some application that can open these files easily? I have tried Word, Web browsers, Graphic applications, etc. Thanks for the help

Ed Colman

r.j.s · Jul 9, 2008, 06:26 PM

Those are probably windows programs, depending on where you got them, they might even be virii. They cannot run on OS X.

WPB2 · Jul 9, 2008, 06:28 PM

Yep executable file is used for installing windows based programs. Its the same a .dmg for mac.

edcollalo52 · Jul 9, 2008, 06:28 PM

They are not Windows files. I created them a few years ago on my Mac probably running system 9. They are definitely documents. Not .exe, but lime green exec in a dark grey square. I have been told they are unix executable files. How do I open them?

r.j.s · Jul 9, 2008, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WPB2

Its the same a .dmg for mac.

Not quite. A windows exe is normally equal to a .app on OS X.

Blue Velvet · Jul 9, 2008, 06:30 PM

Not necessarily. They're not .exes, but rather files that appear as Unix executables, which I've seen happen to cross-platform font transfers, for instance.

r.j.s · Jul 9, 2008, 06:31 PM

Are they compressed? Try uncompressing them using The Unarchiver or maybe archive utility.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

Not necessarily. They're not .exes, but rather files that appear as Unix executables, which I've seen happen to cross-platform font transfers, for instance.

That's why I tried to use normally and not be definite about it.

edcollalo52 · Jul 9, 2008, 06:35 PM

Not compressed. I tried using Better Zip and a couple of other uncompressors. Nothing even recognizes them.

r.j.s · Jul 9, 2008, 06:36 PM

You said you made them, what program did you make them with?

Blue Velvet · Jul 9, 2008, 06:38 PM

They could be fonts... the thing is, why do you want to open them? If you know what they were for, do you not know what kind of files they are or what projects they are related to? Give us some clues.

edcollalo52 · Jul 9, 2008, 06:39 PM

I think I would have used Claris Works back then, but Apple works can't even see them. It is pretty wierd. As I said, they show up as MS Word docs, but don't have a .doc suffix. There are a few of them in the same folder. There are also normal files in the folder too.

r.j.s · Jul 9, 2008, 06:41 PM

Can you change the suffix to .txt and see what happens, if they are documents, you might be able to get the content of them from that.

edcollalo52 · Jul 9, 2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

.. why do you want to open them? If you know what they were for, do you not know what kind of files they are or what projects they are related to?

They would have been some kind of word processor, either Claris Works or Word. They are treatments and synopses of a screenplay I wrote using Final Draft. The script is fine, it is in the same folder, but the rest of the docs have morphed into grey squares. I have tried many apps to open them, but either they can't recognize the files, won't open them or display wacky gibberish symbols.

Blue Velvet · Jul 9, 2008, 06:47 PM

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=288512
http://discussions.apple.com/thread....sageID=6378290

edcollalo52 · Jul 9, 2008, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robert.j.strain

Can you change the suffix to .txt and see what happens.

I changed them to .doc and the icons changed into Word icons, so far so good. Thanks for the suggestion. I tried .txt but when I try to open them, same gibberish in either program. I tried every encoding and get the same results. sigh..

r.j.s · Jul 9, 2008, 06:49 PM

Google was not being my friend today, I was looking for similar things, but couldn't come up with anything relevant.

Rocketman · Jul 9, 2008, 06:53 PM

I have a lot of older files. I have to keep an old OS8 and 9 computer handy to read them. A small price to pay for seamless access. Apple surely is not delivering it.

Rocketman

disconap · Jul 9, 2008, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

Not necessarily. They're not .exes, but rather files that appear as Unix executables, which I've seen happen to cross-platform font transfers, for instance.

Either way they're not disc images. They're more like the OS9 installers or the OSX .pkg installers...

grapes911 · Jul 9, 2008, 07:58 PM

FilExt (a great site) says they are "Unknown Apple II File (found on Golden Orchard Apple II CD Rom)". I'm not sure that helps any though.

http://filext.com/file-extension/exec

robcj · Jul 9, 2008, 08:29 PM

These are not .EXEC or .EXE files. They are files that Mac OS X is incorrectly identifying as executable UNIX files - as in binaries that will run from a terminal. The standard Mac OS X icon for executable UNIX files resembles a terminal window with the word "exec", which causes people to confuse the files with Windows executables, which use the file extension .EXE.

If you have access to AppleWorks 6, either on a Mac OS X or Mac OS 9 system, I'd recommend trying to open them in that application. If not, you may need to find someone who does.

edcollalo52 · Jul 10, 2008, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robcj

If you have access to AppleWorks 6, either on a Mac OS X or Mac OS 9 system, I'd recommend trying to open them in that application. If not, you may need to find someone who does.

I tried Apple Works 6 as well. It can't even see them. As I have been doing this, I am afraid they may have been created in an old program that no longer exists. Looks like a re-write. Thanks for all your help.

Ed

carlo.inzunza · Sep 5, 2009, 11:01 AM

The same thing happened to me and I tried using the sufix . doc and it didn't open either (and indeed it was created as a word document) and then I tried usign the sufix .pdf (Adobe Acrobat Reader) and IT OPENED IT!!!!! but it wasn't editable anymore. but I can always copy and paste

Debocoffin · Sep 29, 2009, 03:56 AM

I had the same problem with old word files that I transferred from an earlier Mac OS. If you have a Google account, go into google documents and upload the files. They'll open up and can be saved or printed or copied from there with the original formatting. It's magical.
I tried opening them with text edit as well, which is the next best thing. There will be some strange gibberish mixed in with the text edit version though.

sammich · Sep 29, 2009, 03:58 AM

Maybe?

http://filext.com/file-extension/EXEC

trevor-davies · Nov 22, 2009, 09:41 AM

Your files probably do not have an application extension. Type the extension of the application you want to use. This is how I open my old logic files.
For appleworks use .cwk.

Jul 9, 2008, 06:25 PM	#1
edcollalo52 macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2008	Opening exec files in OS X I have several files that show up as grey squares with a green 'exec' in the upper left hand corner. When I get Info on these files they are indicated to be Microsoft Word files. When I open them in MS Word, they display pages of gibberish random symbols. Is there some application that can open these files easily? I have tried Word, Web browsers, Graphic applications, etc. Thanks for the help Ed Colman

Jul 9, 2008, 06:26 PM	#2
r.j.s macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Forum Spy	Those are probably windows programs, depending on where you got them, they might even be virii. They cannot run on OS X. __________________ 2009 15" MBP 2.8GHz 4GB 500GB // Late 2006 MB 2GHz 3GB 500GB // 2nd Gen 16GB iPod Touch OS X Tutorial Videos\|Suggest new tutorials

Jul 9, 2008, 06:28 PM	#3
WPB2 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Southeast, LA	Yep executable file is used for installing windows based programs. Its the same a .dmg for mac. __________________ http://web.me.com/williambuquoi Yeah I got a computer and some other shît.

Jul 9, 2008, 06:30 PM	#6
Blue Velvet Demi-Goddess (Moderator) Join Date: Jul 2004	Not necessarily. They're not .exes, but rather files that appear as Unix executables, which I've seen happen to cross-platform font transfers, for instance. __________________ It's a strange world

Jul 9, 2008, 06:36 PM	#9
r.j.s macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Forum Spy	You said you made them, what program did you make them with? __________________ 2009 15" MBP 2.8GHz 4GB 500GB // Late 2006 MB 2GHz 3GB 500GB // 2nd Gen 16GB iPod Touch OS X Tutorial Videos\|Suggest new tutorials

Jul 9, 2008, 06:28 PM	#4
edcollalo52 Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2008	They are not Windows files. I created them a few years ago on my Mac probably running system 9. They are definitely documents. Not .exe, but lime green exec in a dark grey square. I have been told they are unix executable files. How do I open them?

Jul 9, 2008, 06:35 PM	#8
edcollalo52 Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2008	Not compressed. I tried using Better Zip and a couple of other uncompressors. Nothing even recognizes them.

Jul 9, 2008, 06:38 PM	#10
Blue Velvet Demi-Goddess (Moderator) Join Date: Jul 2004	They could be fonts... the thing is, why do you want to open them? If you know what they were for, do you not know what kind of files they are or what projects they are related to? Give us some clues. __________________ It's a strange world

Jul 9, 2008, 06:39 PM	#11
edcollalo52 Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2008	I think I would have used Claris Works back then, but Apple works can't even see them. It is pretty wierd. As I said, they show up as MS Word docs, but don't have a .doc suffix. There are a few of them in the same folder. There are also normal files in the folder too.

Jul 9, 2008, 06:41 PM	#12
r.j.s macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Forum Spy	Can you change the suffix to .txt and see what happens, if they are documents, you might be able to get the content of them from that. __________________ 2009 15" MBP 2.8GHz 4GB 500GB // Late 2006 MB 2GHz 3GB 500GB // 2nd Gen 16GB iPod Touch OS X Tutorial Videos\|Suggest new tutorials

Jul 9, 2008, 06:47 PM	#14
Blue Velvet Demi-Goddess (Moderator) Join Date: Jul 2004	Some possible directions http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=288512 http://discussions.apple.com/thread....sageID=6378290 __________________ It's a strange world

Jul 9, 2008, 06:49 PM	#16
r.j.s macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Forum Spy	Google was not being my friend today, I was looking for similar things, but couldn't come up with anything relevant. __________________ 2009 15" MBP 2.8GHz 4GB 500GB // Late 2006 MB 2GHz 3GB 500GB // 2nd Gen 16GB iPod Touch OS X Tutorial Videos\|Suggest new tutorials

Jul 9, 2008, 06:53 PM	#17
Rocketman macrumors 68030 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Claremont, CA	I have a lot of older files. I have to keep an old OS8 and 9 computer handy to read them. A small price to pay for seamless access. Apple surely is not delivering it. Rocketman __________________ Think Different-ly!

Jul 9, 2008, 07:58 PM	#19
grapes911 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: East Fallowfield, PA	FilExt (a great site) says they are "Unknown Apple II File (found on Golden Orchard Apple II CD Rom)". I'm not sure that helps any though. http://filext.com/file-extension/exec __________________ I hate sigs, but not as much as I hate "Official" threads started by unofficial people.

Jul 9, 2008, 08:29 PM	#20
robcj macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2003	These are not .EXEC or .EXE files. They are files that Mac OS X is incorrectly identifying as executable UNIX files - as in binaries that will run from a terminal. The standard Mac OS X icon for executable UNIX files resembles a terminal window with the word "exec", which causes people to confuse the files with Windows executables, which use the file extension .EXE. If you have access to AppleWorks 6, either on a Mac OS X or Mac OS 9 system, I'd recommend trying to open them in that application. If not, you may need to find someone who does.

Sep 5, 2009, 11:01 AM	#22
carlo.inzunza macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2009	The same thing happened to me and I tried using the sufix . doc and it didn't open either (and indeed it was created as a word document) and then I tried usign the sufix .pdf (Adobe Acrobat Reader) and IT OPENED IT!!!!! but it wasn't editable anymore. but I can always copy and paste

Sep 29, 2009, 03:56 AM	#23
Debocoffin macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2009	Use Google Docs I had the same problem with old word files that I transferred from an earlier Mac OS. If you have a Google account, go into google documents and upload the files. They'll open up and can be saved or printed or copied from there with the original formatting. It's magical. I tried opening them with text edit as well, which is the next best thing. There will be some strange gibberish mixed in with the text edit version though.

Sep 29, 2009, 03:58 AM	#24
sammich macrumors 68020 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chances are I'm in front of my computer, which is in Sydney, Australia	Maybe? http://filext.com/file-extension/EXEC __________________ You do not own a 15 feet MBP. There has never been a 8.5 metre or 27 feet iMac (great, though I'd need a bigger desk). It's " for inches and ' for feet. Have a nice day

Nov 22, 2009, 09:41 AM	#25
trevor-davies macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2009	open ece files in osx Your files probably do not have an application extension. Type the extension of the application you want to use. This is how I open my old logic files. For appleworks use .cwk.

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