🚀 go-pugleaf

rbennet1@gara.une.oz.au (Robert Bennetts) writes:


>   I am trying to find a way to disassemble some .exe files I have so that I
>can reassemble them with microsoft assembler (masm).I would then hopefully
>be able to convert them from .exe files to .com files using exe2bin.There are
>two reasons I would like to do this.The first is that com files are smaller 
>than the equivalent exe files,and I would like to conserve space.The second
>is that I am hoping that the com files will run faster than the original exe
>file.

Well - you are trying something which is useless and may be impossible,
as not all .exe files can be converted to .com files.  Check bytes 6 and 7 in
the .exe file - if they are not 0, the file cannot be converted.

But why bother to disassemble the file ? If you cannot run exe2bin on the
.exe file now, you will of course not be able to do it after you disassemble
and reassemble it - the file would just be identical to the one you started
out with.

Anyhow - if you disassemble and reassemble the file (using a program like
'Sourcer' from VCOMM), you may only save 1K or less in file size. This may
not save any disk space, as the total number of blocks required on the hard
disk may be the same.  If you really want to save space, try LZEXE, PKLITE
or DIET, which produce a compressed .exe file, which will uncompress itself
when executed.  

The program will NOT run any faster or use less RAM, if it is converted to a
.com file or compressed, but it may load slightly faster.

-frisk

Fridrik Skulason      University of Iceland  |       
Technical Editor of the Virus Bulletin (UK)  |  Reserved for future expansion
E-Mail: frisk@rhi.hi.is    Fax: 354-1-28801  |