BIG Files

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Files too big to copy to Floppy

Compress a file or Files to another location e.g: to Floppy disk(s)

Even when zipped, the file is still too big for a floppy

Compress a File to another location e.g: to floppy disk

At this time many households and small businesses have just one computer, so how do they get a file, say 3.6MB in size from that computer to another computer ???

If you have Dial-up Networking on both computers and both have Modems, then you can send it down the telephone line. See Dial-up Networking.
If you do not have a modem, then somehow you simply have got to transfer the file using a floppy disk - but wait - it's too big for the floppy !!!!. BUT you can compress the file so that it does fit on to the floppy - you do this by using a compression/decompression program. There are many around but the most popular (in order) are: Winzip, PKZip, LHA.....etc.

Winzip:

This is an archive program which can compress one or more files down into one archive (or zipped) file. You can Winzip a file(s) onto a floppy (or more than one floppy, if your version has Multiple Disk Spanning). Now you can take it to another PC and unzip the archived/zipped file(s) by extracting . Simply browsing for a folder on the receiving PC, and then clicking the Extract button will allow the file(s) to be extracted to full size/original size on the receiving PC).

Not only is this a common way to get a large file onto a floppy, but it is used extensively on the Internet so that the compressed file saves downloading time.

The key to Winzip is:

Unzip:

To open a zip file: Click on the file name in your folder

To Extract (unzip it): Click the Extract button. Choose a location on your PC and extract.

REMEMBER TO UNZIP: OPEN....EXTRACT

Zip:

To zip a file(s) to another location (e.g floppy) you create a new archive to that location making up a name for the archive file.

Now you add a file(s) to that archive, choosing a file(s) from a location of your PC.

REMEMBER TO UNZIP: NEW....ADD

Using Winzip
Unzip	Zip
OPEN with EXTRACT	NEW with ADD

You haven't got Winzip, download an older full version here (no expiry time), then once downloaded,click on the file to set it up.

Download

Winzip

Or go to http://www.winzip.com and buy the latest version (downloads to your PC eg: winzip80.exe, run for setup). This will cost around $20- 30.

Still to Big !!!! - even when zipped

Some file compression program can zip a large file unto more than one diskette (check the software you have for this capability, eg: Winzip 8's Multiple Disk Spanning * ). If you don't have that capability then it would seem that you have an intractable problem - but again there are ways to get over it.

Here's one - it's a little utility called 'Slice' from many many years ago..but it still works (in DOS).

What it does is to slice a large file (or your 'too big zip file') into slices, putting each slice on a different floppy.

Taking the two or more floppies to another computer, you run the Splice command (on each diskette) to put each slice into the computer and splice it back to the previous one.

Copy the slice.com file into the folder which has the big file.

Now restart your computer in DOS mode: Start, Shutdown, Restart in Dos Mode

To slice the big file:

Move to the folder where the file exists, cd <folder name>

Eg: to move to a folder called Temp on the C Drive

cd Temp

use he slice command:

Slice <name.ext> a:

e.g:

Slice Myfile.zip a:

The slice program will keep asking for another floppy until slicing is complete.

Note: DOS only takes up to 8 characters for a filename so if the filename is more than 8 characters it will be truncated e.g: MyDocument.zip could be something like: MyDocu~1.zip .

To Splice the slices back:

Put the 1st floppy into the other computer.

Splice a: <location on other computer>

e.g:

Splice a: c:\temp

Note: DOS only takes up to 8 characters for a filename or folder name, therefore splice to a folder like Temp (if you haven't got a short nam folder - create one first using my Computer, C Drive).

To download the slice/splice program click 'Slice' below, unzip then run as per instruction above

(haven't got Winzip to unzip it with, then go to Winzip download )

Download

Slice

WinZip® makes it easy to create Zip files that "span" multiple disks. This is useful if the files you are working with will not fit on one disk.

To make a Zip file that spans multiple disks, simply create a Zip file on a removable disk, then add files to the Zip as you normally would. If the disk fills during Add operation, you will be prompted for another disk. Simply insert the next disk and click the OK button.

Important: disk spanning is not available when adding files to an existing archive; it is only available while creating a new archive. Also note that you cannot add or remove files from a Zip file that spans disks. WinZip requires pre-formatted disks (you can format disks using My Computer or Windows Explorer).

Example:

To zip the files in your c:\data folder to a Zip file called A:\DATA.ZIP:

1. Start WinZip.

2. Drag and drop the c:\data folder from My Computer or Windows Explorer to the WinZip window.

3. In the Add dialog box, type the filename of the Zip file (A:\DATA.ZIP).

4. Click the Add button.

If more than one disk is needed, you will be prompted for additional disks.