strange file extension

[jeffrey]

Hi,

Going through some old CD-R`s we found, we see some strange file extensions.
Our zip program thinks they are compressed files, but they aren`t. The
extension are like this:

transfer.doc.b64
weeklyflow.ppt(1).b64
expensesheet.xls.b64

when trying to access any of them with Office, just get a jumble of
characters. Are these files encrypted? Thanks.

Jeff

 

[Ron Bogart]

In

Hi,

Going through some old CD-R`s we found, we see some strange file
extensions. Our zip program thinks they are compressed files, but
they aren`t. The extension are like this:

transfer.doc.b64
weeklyflow.ppt(1).b64
expensesheet.xls.b64

when trying to access any of them with Office, just get a jumble of
characters. Are these files encrypted? Thanks.

Jeff

http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=b64&goButton=Go

 

[jeffrey]

Thanks Ron

In jeffrey <[email protected]> did some thinking and came up with these words:

http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=b64&goButton=Go

--
Ron Bogart {} o?o$B"L(B
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -
"Life is what happens while we are making other plans."

 

[Richie]

Rename each of them removing the .b64 and on the one
called ppt remove the (1)

Also these files may have been compressed by a backup
prgram judging from those additional extensions

 

[jeffrey]

Hi,

Didn`t know you could compress a compress file. I haven`t used windows
compress feature, just always used IZArc to compress or decompress files and
folders.

Jeff

 

[Tim Slattery]

Hi,

Didn`t know you could compress a compress file.

You can't. You can zip an already zipped file, but the resulting file
won't be any smaller than the original zip, and will probably be a bit
larger.

I take these files (with a "b64" extension) to have been Base64
encoded. That's not a compression program, but rather a way of
encoding binary files so that they can be transmitted over media that
supports only printable ASCII characters, like email or newsgroups.
Not only does it not compress the file, a Base64-encoded file is
larger than the original.

A description of the process is here:
http://www.freesoft.org/CIE/RFC/2065/56.htm

An encoder/decoder that you can try out for free is here:
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/Centricorp-s-Base-64-Encoder-and-Decoder/3000-2092_2-10328412.html

There are surely many other BASE64 encoder/decoders around the net.

 

[jeffrey]

Hi,

Thanks for the links, kinda explains the strange format on this CD-R. We
were having problems accessing the files.

Jeff