SXD (Sydex) - Revision history

RSola: /* Identification */ grammar and clarification

2025-05-12T03:17:12Z

‎Identification: grammar and clarification

RSola: Initial description

2025-05-08T12:13:36Z

Initial description

New page

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Disk Image Formats
}}

Not to be confused with the [[SXD]] graphics format used by StarOffice Draw and OpenOffice Draw.

== Overview ==

Sydex offered an enhanced commercial Plus package for its [[CopyQM]] disk imaging software which provided additional features and tools. Creation of self-extracting disk images was enabled by the MAKESXD.EXE utility and the SELFEXTRACT option in the main program COPYQM.EXE.

== Identification ==

Files are standard [[MS-DOS EXE]] files. A few combined DOS and 16-bit [[NE]] OS/2 extractors have been observed as well.

The ''overlay'' segment (refer to [[MS-DOS EXE#Special file positions]]) should start with ASCII {{magic|SXD}}. However, some files feature a ''wrapper'' block of text which will shown on screen before the self-extracting image is written to disk; for example, a license agreement that must be accepted. The wrapper block starts with ASCII <code>WB</code>, followed by the length of the block (same format as EXE header) and the compressed text. Then, ASCII <code>SXD</code> follows the wrapper.

== Software ==

* {{DiscMasterURL|browse/29661/ibm0430-0439/ibm0436.tar/ibm0436/CQMP321.ZIP|CQMP321.ZIP}} CopyQM Plus version 3.21

== Sample files ==

* https://www.ardent-tool.com/video/xgautil.exe
* https://www.ardent-tool.com/video/am2win1.exe
* https://www.ardent-tool.com/video/am2win2.exe

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Files are standard [[MS-DOS EXE]] files. A few combined DOS and 16-bit [[NE]] OS/2 extractors have been observed as well.
-The ''overlay'' segment (refer to [[MS-DOS EXE#Special file positions]]) should start with ASCII {{magic|SXD}}. However, some files feature a ''wrapper'' block of text which will shown on screen before the self-extracting image is written to disk; for example, a license agreement that must be accepted. The wrapper block starts with ASCII <code>WB</code>, followed by the length of the block (same format as EXE header) and the compressed text. Then, ASCII <code>SXD</code> follows the wrapper.
+The ''overlay'' segment (refer to [[MS-DOS EXE#Special file positions]]) should start with ASCII {{magic|SXD}}. However, some files feature a ''wrapper'' block of text which will be shown on screen before the self-extracting image is written to a floppy disk; for example, a license agreement that must be accepted. The wrapper block starts with ASCII <code>WB</code>, followed by the length of the block (same format as EXE header) and the compressed text. Then, ASCII <code>SXD</code> follows the wrapper.
 == Software ==