Microsoft KB Archive/108254

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Cannot Use Earlier DECOMP.EXE Version with WinWord 6.0 Files

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Q108254

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0

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SYMPTOMS
If you use an earlier version of DECOMP.EXE (such as one supplied with Word version 1.x or 2.x for Windows) to decompress Word 6.0 files, the following error message occurs:

Error: Unknown compression algorithm

CAUSE
To decompress Word 6.0 files with DECOMP, you must use DECOMP.EXE version 1.2, which is supplied with Word 6.0. This file has a size of 38,926 and is dated 10-27-93.

To determine which version of DECOMP you are running, type "decomp" (without the quotation marks) and press ENTER at the MS-DOS command prompt.

MORE INFORMATION
The following table lists which version of DECOMP.EXE is supplied with each version of Word for Windows:

Word Version   DECOMP Version    File Size      File Date --   -      - Word 1.1        1.02              22,604         02-07-91 Word 2.0       1.02              39,121         10-21-91 Word 2.0a      1.02              39,121         02-13-92 Word 2.0b      1.02              39,121         08-31-92 Word 2.0c      1.02              39,121         11-18-92 Word 6.0       1.2               38,926         10-27-93

DECOMP Syntax and Usage
Syntax:

  DECOMP [-afq] [srcArg [destArg]] Argument or Switch   Description -   --- -a           Appends to the destination file, if it exists. -f          Overwrites destination file, if it exists (files             cannot be decompressed in place).

-q          Calculates and displays size of uncompressed file (does not decompress the file).

srcArg      Specific file or wildcard pattern. Either can be            preceded by a path.

destArg     (optional) Specific file or directory. If destArg is            a directory or omitted, DECOMP generates the destination filename using information in the src file header. (If the information is missing from the src file header,            DECOMP uses the src filename itself).