File Size - 345 KB Supported Software Versions or File Systems - All?
Developer Provided Description - "catdoc is program which reads one or more Microsoft word files and outputs text, contained inside them to standard output. Therefore it does same work for .doc files, as UNIX cat command for plain ASCII files.
It is now accompanied by xls2csv - program which converts Excel spreadsheet into comma-separated value file.
Newest addition to catdoc suite is catppt - program, which extracts readable text from the PowerPoint files. "
Comment - If you can't open a PowerPoint file, this will extract the text for you. You might have to make the name of your Excel file 8 characters or less in length. To copy the output you can click on the little C:\ Icon in the upper left of the DOS Window (
) and choosing Edit -> Mark and then hitting the Enter Key.
Name - DocMorph and MyMorph Ratings Explanation
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Download URL - http://docmorph.nlm.nih.gov/docmorph/
Developer - National Library of Medicine
OS - Any system with a Web browser
File Size - NA/Online Service
Supported Software Versions or File Systems - WordPerfect documents with a DOC or a WPD extension
Developer Provided Description - "The U.S. National Library of Medicine's (NLM) document conversion tools make the exchange and use of biomedical library electronic information easier for librarians, library users, and the general public. The DocMorph Web site and MyMorph software are two free conversion tools that allow users to convert more than 50 types of files into alternative, usable formats. The DocMorph Web site allows users to convert files into PDF, TIFF, text, and synthesized speech. The downloadable MyMorph software allows users to mass migrate files to PDF only."
Comment - The idea here would be to extract text from a corrupt WordPerfect file (with a DOC or a WPD extension) or turn it into a PDF and thus recover the data.
Name - BinText Ratings Explanation
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Download URL - BinText
Developer -Foundstone Inc
OS - Windows 9X/Me/NT/2000/XP
File Size - 116 KB
Supported Software Versions or File Systems - FAT12/16/32/NTFS
Developer Provided Description - "A small, very fast and powerful text extractor that will be of particular interest to programmers. It can extract text from any kind of file and includes the ability to find plain ASCII text, Unicode (double byte ANSI) text and Resource strings, providing useful information for each item in the optional "advanced" view mode. Its comprehensive filtering helps prevent unwanted text being listed. The gathered list can be searched and saved to a separate file as either a plain text file or in informative tabular format."
Comment - This allows you to recover the text from a file if nothing else.
Name - TextExtract
Ratings Explanation
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Download URL - Textext
Developer - Ultima Thule
OS - Windows 9X/Me/NT/2000/XP
File Size - 670Kb
Supported Software Versions or File Systems - FAT12/16/32/NTFS
Developer Provided Description - "TextExtract is a small but powerful program that scans one or more files for text strings, extracts them and saves them into a separate file. Useful if, say, you have a corrupted word processor file, or if you just want to see what text, if any, is inside a file. Configurable extraction. Lovely interface. Very straightforward to use. TextExtract is free to use from its GUI (i.e. the buttons and that) and shareware if you use it from its command-line interface."
Comment - This allows you to recover the text from a file if nothing else.
Name - ReadText (rt101.zip) Ratings Explanation
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Download URL - rt101.zip
Developer - Runar Skaret
OS - Windows
File Size - 6.1 KB
Supported Software Versions or File Systems - All Windows File Systems
Developer Provided Description - "ReadText uses a routine to distinguish text from binary code. When given a filename, it removes whatever it finds that looks like binary code in the file. What's left behind is what the program believes to be text only. This program is meant to be used on program or data files, where you think there might be some text information hidden, like game cheats, program usage information, etc. The text in such binary files can already be read by any good text viewer, but all the binary code cluttering up can make it difficult to find what you're looking for. Using this program should, by removing most of this code, make your search a little easier."
Comment - This allows you to recover the text from a file if nothing else.
