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[watcher248]

I HAVE an important file that was sent to me, by a now deceased friend, the files cannot be replaced, the problem is that they will not open.
It appears that they have an unusual file extension, it is .pae.rtf
is this typical or has it been corrupted, I was told that his version of powerarchiver is the 2004 version, and have since confirmed it……helppppppppppppppppppppppp please.

watcher248
Thanks

[Serhiy]

Welcome to PowerArchiver forums Watcher248!
Did you try to change the extension to “.pae” (instead of “.pae.rtf”) and open it in the current version of PowerArchiver?

Thanks,

[Jr heuwing]

Looking at the extension, i think it is not a archive but an MS Word file. If the suggestion from NTFS doesn’t work you can try this.

[watcher248]

there in lies the problem the file icon on the desktop is .pae
and by the way, the file has been encrypted and zipped, the only time I see the .rdt or sometimes .odt is when it opens to the password screen, and asks me for the password, thats when I see the .rdt or .odt extension along with the .pae extension first of course

Thanks

[TBGBe]

@watcher248:

… thats when I see the .rdt or .odt extension along with the .pae extension first of course

Sorry, where do you see this ‘.rdt or .odt’ (or should that be rtf)?
If the file was zipped and then encrypted, then the file name would normally be filename.pae
When you use try to decrypt this, if you select in PA window, then you would see filename.pae in “explorer pane” and (possibly) filename.zip in “files pane” with a + in fromt of it indicating encrypted. I say possibly because filename may also be encrypted.

If it was encrypted directly (compress and encrypt) then you do not see the original extension until after the password is input.

Important - we are assuming you know the password otherwise the file cannot be decrypted anyway (pae is strong !!).

[watcher248]

Sorry you are correct the file ext. is pae.odt and sometimes rtf
I believe the odt is due to my use of OpenOffice as apposed to word, The password is absolute as its written down for me, and besides we often shared the same files with the same password. It appears when I open the zip file, it ask for the password I type it in but it comes back as incorrect password, odd thing is other files I have from him with the same password open fine??? Just this one file, and if it weren’t so important I would let it go.

[spwolf]

@watcher248:

Sorry you are correct the file ext. is pae.odt and sometimes rtf
I believe the odt is due to my use of OpenOffice as apposed to word, The password is absolute as its written down for me, and besides we often shared the same files with the same password. It appears when I open the zip file, it ask for the password I type it in but it comes back as incorrect password, odd thing is other files I have from him with the same password open fine??? Just this one file, and if it weren’t so important I would let it go.

maybe someone made mistake with password when creating that archive?

[watcher248]

Well we had been doing this for about 10 years, never made an error, but I guess, its possible, heres a new wrinkle, I just found an identical file, about six months old same issue, it won’t accept the password, and all other files from that period open fine, now I know it opened then because I remember seeing it but needed to clarify things with him about it, but you know how you feel like you have forever to do stuff then this happens.
Thanks

[MarcFou]

@watcher248:

The password is absolute as its written down for me, and besides we often shared the same files with the same password. It appears when I open the zip file, it ask for the password I type it in but it comes back as incorrect password, odd thing is other files I have from him with the same password open fine???

Im thinking that when the password was created for the file, it could have been a simple typo. It would explain why the password dosent work. Have you tried variants of the pw?

For example many times I will type the word ‘the’ as ‘teh’. Another example I might leave a character out by ‘mistke’.

Or hit a key thats next to another by accidrt. Another possiblity is too many letters or not enough. For example the word cross may get typed as ‘cros’ or ‘croos’.

Sorry for the long reply.

[TBGBe]

@watcher248:

Sorry you are correct the file ext. is pae.odt and sometimes rtf
I believe the odt is due to my use of OpenOffice as apposed to word

Just to clarify this part - how does the extension change?? I fail to understand how OpenOffice will change an archive file extension?
Or are you referring to multiple archive files with the same problem?

[watcher248]

Well I was thinking that when you create a zip file with Word or OpenOffice or excell etc, that the extensions reflect the program used is that incorrect?

And yes I have tried all types of variations with and without letters missing, nada!

[TBGBe]

@watcher248:

Well I was thinking that when you create a zip file with Word or OpenOffice or excell etc, that the extensions reflect the program used is that incorrect?

Yes, that is incorrect - “Word or OpenOffice or excell etc” don’t create Zip files! They create documents (.doc ; .xls etc).
Archive programs (like PA) create Zip files.

So as an example

• use Word to create a file
  “example.doc” or “example.rtf” etc.
• use PA to compress/archive this as using ZIP format
  “example.zip” (or you can rename to “example.doc.zip” / “example.rtf.zip”)
• And/or use PA to encrypt this :- “example.pae”
  (or you can rename to “example.doc.zip.pae” / “example.rtf.zip.pae”)

Then use PA to open example.pae; input password
extracts “example.doc” / “example.rtf” (The un-zipping is handled transparently).