Unarchiving LHA & LZX files on Windows XP

[amigauser]

Originally Posted by fisken uno

I <3 WinRAR. As for LZX files: I simply unpack them in Workbench through WinUAE Works fine.

I'm fairly new to WinUAE. How do you unpack your LZX files using Workbench please?

[fisken uno]

Originally Posted by amigauser

I'm fairly new to WinUAE. How do you unpack your LZX files using Workbench please?

Well, install any of the nice pre-installed workbench packages (I would recommend Bloodwych's) and it'll be as easy as clicking the icons of the archives Alternatively you can just install the LHA/LZX tool (I guess you can grab it from Aminet).

[amigauser]

Originally Posted by fisken uno

Well, install any of the nice pre-installed workbench packages (I would recommend Bloodwych's) and it'll be as easy as clicking the icons of the archives Alternatively you can just install the LHA/LZX tool (I guess you can grab it from Aminet).

I load one of my Workbench ADFs into DF0: and I load the lzx file into DF1:. The DF1: icon just says LZX and when I double click on the icon I get the error message about not having a default tool.

Also if I have the LZX tool from Aminet where do I install it so that WinUAE can make use of it? Or do I use it separately?

Is the LZX file converted into an ADF? If not what happens and how do I get WinUAE to use what was in the LZX file please?

[fisken uno]

I suggest you use a virtual hard drive Hence why I suggested using a finished setup such as Bloodwych's excellent ClassicWB. Read about it and how to set it up here.

[Bloodwych]

Yes, like Fisk said use a Workbench setup in WinUAE.

In the ClassicWB, you also have the option of using a fully pre-configured Dopus to handle multiple archives at once.

[amigauser]

I have downloaded the ClassicWB full version but don't know where to extract the files to. I also am not sure which file to run to install the program.Bear with me,guys, it's been about 10 years since I played on a real Amiga..that was 3 PCs ago.

[amigauser]

I have extracted the files to a holding directory and using some instructions I found on the net I have put the UAE file supplied in the configuration directory.I have booted up WinUAE, selected the classic workbench configuration file, linked it to an appropriate rom, checked that the configuration matches the one recommended, inserted a Workbench 3.1 ADF in DF0 and saved the configuration file.

It boots up with a ram disk and DF0 showing the Workbench 3.1 disk. I can't find any files on the RAM disk even though it says it is full.

Have I set it up correctly please?

[fisken uno]

Hmm, it was a while since I installed ClassicWB but iirc you're not supposed to boot up WB. You're supposed to use an install disk, which will ASK you for the WB disk during the installation process. Am I correct, Bloodwych? I never found it difficult at all though. There should be proper instructions included...

[Bloodwych]

Yeah that's right Fisk, well the instructions part - instructions are already included with the pack AND clearly labelled on the web page with nice pics too! The install procedure no longer uses a separate install disk however. All you have to do is boot the HDF file.

http://classicwb.abime.net/classicweb/instructions.htm

Amigauser - You're close. Don't insert the workbench disk until asked to - instead add the System.HDF file to the harddrives tab, save the config and boot without a disk in any of the drives. It'll then boot the System.HDF file and you can follow the onscreen instructions.

Have a read through the instructions linked above and post again if you get stuck - I'll help out if anything isn't clear but it's silly repeating myself. I don't mind if you have any questions.

Or try out AmigaSYS or AIAB if you want.

[Methanoid]

Originally Posted by Bloodwych

Yeah that's right Fisk, well the instructions part - instructions are already included with the pack AND clearly labelled on the web page with nice pics too! The install procedure no longer uses a separate install disk however. All you have to do is boot the HDF file.

http://classicwb.abime.net/classicweb/instructions.htm

Amigauser - You're close. Don't insert the workbench disk until asked to - instead add the System.HDF file to the harddrives tab, save the config and boot without a disk in any of the drives. It'll then boot the System.HDF file and you can follow the onscreen instructions.

Have a read through the instructions linked above and post again if you get stuck - I'll help out if anything isn't clear but it's silly repeating myself. I don't mind if you have any questions.

Or try out AmigaSYS or AIAB if you want.

Bloodwych, any idea how I could FORMAT a CF Card on a PC for use as an Amiga hard disk (CF to IDE adaptor) and read it as a HD in Amiga? Would this be under UAE perhaps as it allows you to read real Amiga HDs??

[amigauser]

Originally Posted by Bloodwych

Yeah that's right Fisk, well the instructions part - instructions are already included with the pack AND clearly labelled on the web page with nice pics too! The install procedure no longer uses a separate install disk however. All you have to do is boot the HDF file.

http://classicwb.abime.net/classicweb/instructions.htm

Amigauser - You're close. Don't insert the workbench disk until asked to - instead add the System.HDF file to the harddrives tab, save the config and boot without a disk in any of the drives. It'll then boot the System.HDF file and you can follow the onscreen instructions.

Have a read through the instructions linked above and post again if you get stuck - I'll help out if anything isn't clear but it's silly repeating myself. I don't mind if you have any questions.

Or try out AmigaSYS or AIAB if you want.

Thanks for that, Bloodwych.Removed the Workbench disk from WinUAE and got the configuration to accept System.HDF. It booted up into what looked like a Workbench screen with the word Scalos at the top and showed three icons ( RAM disk, Chip Ram & System),but there were no on-screen instructions and it didn't ask for the workbench disk. Seems to work OK though.

Is there any way of reading ADF files into the Ram disk so that games with more than four disks can be saved as part of the configuration to avoid having to change disks all the time please?

[Bloodwych]

Methanoid - sorry, I don't know. I'd start a new thread and see if anyone can help.

Amigauser - that sounds completely wrong. The workbench won't work if you didn't follow the onscreen instructions so goodness knows what you've done! I'll have a look into this when I have more time.

As for disks and games - that's what WHDload is for! Do a search and have a read around as there should be loads of advice on this.

[Bloodwych]

Amigauser:

Well I tested out the FULL package and I feel the instructions provided are fairly straight forward. No problems installing it here.

How you managed to get something to boot on System.HDF without going through the install procedure is beyond me!

Just as shown in the instructions, when you boot the HDF file you can only get the screen below:

[amigauser]

Thanks for that, Bloodwych.

I'm at a loss to explain it too. I've managed to get some additional drives to appear but can't get DOpus to recognise them yet as I want to extract some LZX files. I need to get DOpus to allow me to set up a directory to unpack the files into ( I have one set up ready on my PC) but I don't know how to do that. Any ideas please?

[kuesco]

I suggest to all you to try IZarc, is a beautiful and small FREE program for win machines that handles LHA, LZH and a lot of others. Is multilanguage and integrates well with explorer. Just see for yourself.
Here is the link:
http://izsoft.cjb.net

[Bloodwych]

Kuesco - sounds like a really nice utility.

I found another one here but never tried it.

Amigauser, many options exist. You can configure dopus yourself and add/remove drives by using its built in configuration screen - accessed via the top left hand menu in dopus.

You can call any hard drive directories you add in winuae "DH1:" or "PC:" as dopus has already been setup to recognise these names (see below).

Or you can access any winuae hardrive you add by right clicking on the "Root" button or the little box labelled "S" inbetween all the slider bars.

It sounds to me that you are fairly new to WinUAE. If so, perhaps reading an online guide will help, such as http://guide.abime.net/

[amigauser]

Thanks, Bloodwych. I have used WinUAE for quite a bit but didn't really have any reason to bother with hard drives,hard files, Workbench etc as most of my files were ADFs and simple to use.

More recently, I've got files in LZX format and that has caused some problems.I have managed to get unarchivers for LHA, LZH and LZX files, thanks mainly to the contributers to this thread, to whom I am very grateful.

Having managed to unpack my LZX files the next problem I have is that the files are unarchived as folders for each disk.I need to convert them to ADFs and wondered if there was a program which would take the unarchived files and convert them to ADF format.I have heard of Disk2ADF and Transdisk but I think that you can only use them to read real original Amiga disks in a drive and convert them to ADF.

Part of my problem too is that it is a while since I used programs like DOpus and I'm having to re-educate myself about their functionality and at my age it's something of a challenge.

[Bloodwych]

If these are LZX archives it sounds like they're WHDload games and not connected with ADF files in the slightest. I'm not sure if you can convert the game image files contained in WHDload folders back to ADF??

Compressed ADF files usually have the extension ADZ, ZIP and DMS, all of which can be used by WinUAE directly. They are not usually distributed in LZX fomat.

WHDload games however are usually in LZX and decompress to a folder like you described. That's because the folder contains all the files necessary in order to run the game directly from the hard drive! That's why I mentioned WHDload before when you asked about running multi-disk games.

The classic workbench already has WHDload installed, so you should be able to run these games from the folder as long as it contains the game images and not just the slave files. Just look for an icon with the games name, double click and it should run. For a great collection of WHDload games look at KillerGorilla's WHDload thread:

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=18779

[Smiley]

For lzh files i used the program off aminet. But instead of using it from DOS I just dragged the lhz file over lhz.exe and it extracts it to the same file automatically.
I use XP btw.

[kuesco]

I have found the definitive unpacker for win machines, is called Zipzag and can manage, extract and convert, LHA, LHZ, LZX, and all the other formats i can remember plus ADFS D64s isos themes and icons packs.

BUT this beauty is shareware!!!! it costs $20 for the full version. Wath the F%$k!!!

Anyway, go and try it, at last you get 30 days of full unpacking of any type of file.(and of course you can register and enjoy the proggy forever).

here goes the link:

www.zipzag.com/