StuffIt Expander is copyrighted freeware software.
You should not run the software until you have read the document called ╥License Agreement╙. By running the software you signify that you agree to the terms of the License Agreement.
This document contains instructions which will aid your understanding of StuffIt Expander as well as explaining known issues and special topics that you might want to know.
Description
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StuffIt Expander is designed to be the simplest, most efficient way to expand any compressed file you may have downloaded from an online information service or bulletin board system. There are millions of such files available, and they are usually stored in one of several compressed ╥archive╙ formats.
An archive is a single file which acts like a container, holding one or more files or folders. Usually the files in an archive are compressed, so they take up less room on a diskette or hard drive, and take less time to transmit over networks and modems. Unless the archive is ╥self-extracting╙ (.sea), you need a separate utility to access the files in an archive. StuffIt Expander is a utility which lets you decompress the contents of archives (StuffIt and others).
StuffIt Expander expands archives from the most popular archive-based compression formats found on the Macintosh: StuffIt¬ and Compact Pro¬. All non-encrypted archives created by any version of these products are supported, including files created with any member of the StuffIt family, including StuffIt SpaceSaver, StuffIt Deluxe, StuffIt Lite, or DropStuff.
StuffIt Expander will also expand files which have been ╥encoded╙ in BinHex 4.0 format, such as those commonly found on the Internet. Multipart BinHex files, such as those appearing in Internet newsgroup postings (e.g. comp.binaries.mac), are fully supported. StuffIt Expander will also ignore any headers from BinHex files.
You can also configure StuffIt Expander to perform periodic checks on the contents of a specified folder (called a ╥Watch Folder╙), and to expand any new files that it finds. Therefore, you can set StuffIt Expander to expand groups of files in the background while others are being downloaded.
If you have also installed ╥DropStuff with Expander Enhancer╙, a separate product, you will also be able to expand files which were compressed on PCs and Unix systems. These include: StuffIt (.sit), Compact Pro (.cpt), ZIP (.zip), and ARC (.arc) archives; AppleLink (.pkg) packages; gzip (.gz), Unix Compress (.Z), UUencoded (.uu), MacBinary (.bin), and StuffIt SpaceSaver files. It will also join files that were segmented with another StuffIt product.
In addition, if ╥DropStuff with Expander Enhancer╙ has been installed, expansion will occur at accelerated speeds on Power Macintoshes (e.g., expansion of a sample StuffIt archive runs more than 5 times faster on a Power Macintosh 6100/60 than on a IIci).
Installation
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Hopefully, you╒re reading this document after the complete software ╥package╙ was installed by the ╥StuffIt Expander Installer╙. If not, you should obtain the ╥StuffIt Expander Installer╙ and reinstall the software. Refer to the ╥What was installed (and where)╙ document for details on where the software was installed.
Requirements
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StuffIt Expander requires System 6.0.4 or later, and System 7.X users additionally can enjoy an easy ╥drag & drop╙ interface.
StuffIt Expander is Apple event aware, 32-bit clean, Power Macintosh, AV, ╒040 cache and virtual memory compatible, and has an intelligent background processing scheme that makes it perfect for expanding groups of files while others are being downloaded.
DropStuff with Expander Enhancer is a System 7-only shareware product. Be sure to install it with the ╥DropStuff with Expander Enhancer Installer╙ and register your shareware.
Using StuffIt Expander
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Under System 7, your files can be expanded by dragging those icons onto the StuffIt Expander icon. You may also drag a folder or disk icon over StuffIt Expander, and it will expand the entire contents of the folder or disk.
1. In the Finder, select one or more icons that you want expanded.
2. Drag them over the StuffIt Expander icon until it is highlighted.
3. Let go of the mouse/trackball button.
StuffIt Expander will open and you╒ll see a progress dialog. Each archive gets expanded into a new folder, located in the same folder as the archive. If an archive contains a single file, then that file will not be put into a new folder.
When everything is expanded, StuffIt Expander automatically quits.
System 6 users, or those who prefer a ╥manual╙ way to expand their files, should:
1. Double click the StuffIt Expander icon.
2. Choose the ╥Expand╔╙ command from the File menu.
3. Select the file to be expanded.
4. Click the ╥Expand╙ button.
A progress dialog will appear as each file gets expanded into in the same folder as the original file you specified.
5. Return to step 2 to expand more files or choose ╥Quit╙ from the File menu to exit StuffIt Expander.
Setting up a ╥Watch Folder╙:
1. Double click the StuffIt Expander icon.
2. Choose ╥Preferences...╙ from the File menu.
3. Select the ╥Watch Folder╙ icon from the list on the left.
4. Check the ╥Check for files to expand in╙ checkbox to enable the feature.
5. StuffIt Expander will ask you to select the folder you want watched.
6. Type the number of minutes you want StuffIt Expander to wait before checking the Watch Folder again.
7. Click ╥OK╙.
8. Leave StuffIt Expander running, and do other things (such as downloading new files).
Special Topics for StuffIt Expander
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Shortcuts
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* If you hold down the Control key when dropping the files on the icon, or when choosing Expand from the menu, StuffIt Expander will delete the original archives after expanding them. You are not warned, so use this feature carefully.
* If you hold down the Option key when dropping the files on the icon, or when choosing Expand from the menu, you will have the option of choosing preferences which will apply only that one time to file expansion, after which StuffIt Expander will go back to using your previously chosen preferences.
* If you hold down the Command key when choosing ╥Expand...╙ from the File menu, you will be able to select a folder (or entire disk) to expand, instead of a single file. Normally, you should just drop a folder onto StuffIt Expander to accomplish this.
Scripting
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Scripters can control StuffIt Expander from other applications. For example, with HyperCard use the ╥open <document> using ╥StuffIt Expander╙╙ command. With Frontier, use a ╥required.OpenDocument(╘SITx╒, document)╙.
Users of AppleScript and Frontier can get more sophisticated control over StuffIt Expander via the ╥Expand╙ event. Use the AppleScript Script Editor╒s ╥Open Dictionary╙ command to view the information on the Expand event.
Caveats
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* With the exception of StuffIt 3.X archives, StuffIt Expander will not expand encrypted or password protected archives.
* StuffIt Expander decodes multipart BinHex files only if you manually
concatenate all parts into one file.
* StuffIt Expander will not expand StuffIt archives created using 2.0 Optimizers.
Troubleshooting / Known Issues
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* When DropStuff with Expander Enhancer is installed, StuffIt Expander will UnZIP self-extracting PKZIP files ending in ╥.exe╙, only if you rename the file to end with ╥.ZIP╙.
* When DropStuff with Expander Enhancer is installed, StuffIt Expander╒s joining feature may not work correctly under certain circumstances. Specifically, if the ╥Delete segements after joining╙ preference is selected, and you run out of disk space during a join operation, the first segment will be deleted even though the joining is not complete. The easy way to avoid this is to make sure you have enough disk space before performing a join, or alternatively deselecting the ╥Delete segements after joining╙ preference.
* If StuffIt Expander does not highlight when dragging a file onto it, try rebuilding your desktop by restarting your computer while holding down the Option and Command keys until a dialog appears. Click ╥OK╙ when asked if you want to rebuild your desktop.
* Dragging a file from a volume on which you do not have ╥change╙ permission onto Expander will result in a -5000 error message. That just means you don╒t have permission to expand there and could you please pick a new destination.
We hope that you won╒t have any problems with StuffIt Expander, but if you do you can contact Aladdin Systems.
Contacting Aladdin Systems
==========================
If you would like information about our other award-winning products (like StuffIt Deluxe or SITcomm), just ask us at:
E-mail:
AppleLink/America Online: Aladdin
CompuServe: 75300,1666
eWorld/GEnie: AladdinSys
Internet: aladdin@well.com
Fax:
408/761-6206
Address:
Aladdin Systems, Inc.
165 Westridge Drive
Watsonville, CA 95076 USA
Phone:
408/761-6200
What is Freeware?
=================
Freeware is copyrighted software which never costs anything to use. Like shareware, it may be given out to friends or posted on bulletin boards and online services. But, unlike shareware, you can use it and pay nothing!
StuffIt Expander is Freeware.
Please share this software with every Mac user you know!
But, PLEASE, give away the installers only, not the individual files. In other words, share the ╥StuffIt Expander Installer╙ and ╥DropStuff with Expander Enhancer Installer,╙ but not the individual files called ╥StuffIt Expander¬╙, ╥DropStuff¬╙, and ╥StuffIt Engine¬╙. THANKS!
