GRABBER

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  This file was created by GRABBER.COM Version
 
  This file was created by GRABBER.COM Version
  
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EXE files have ASCII "{{magic|Created by GRABBER}}" at offset 49.
+
Early EXE format (~3.50): Verification needed. At offset 49 is the string
 +
All Code Copyright (C) 1987-1990 by G. A. Monroe
 +
 
 +
v3.60-3.98 EXE format: At offset 49 is the string
 +
Created by GRABBER
  
 
== Software ==
 
== Software ==

Revision as of 14:13, 8 October 2025

File Format
Name GRABBER
Ontology
Extension(s) .com, .exe
Released 1987

GRABBER is a screen capture utility for DOS, developed by Gerald (Jerry) A. Monroe.

Images are saved as self-displaying executable files. Older versions use COM format, and newer versions use EXE.

Contents

Discussion

Some of the registered versions have major version number 5 or 6, though they aren't necessarily newer than the 3.x shareware versions. This is mentioned in, for example, the REGISTER.DOC file from the 3.98 distribution.

GRABBER may require a fairly accurate DOS emulator or a VM, like VMware Player. Versions that seem to work in DOSBox are 2.10 through 3.35, and 3.84 through 3.91. Versions that seem to work in VMware Player are later ones (like 3.98). Earlier versions like 3.34 doesn't support VMs (it captures garbage), but works fine in DOSBox.

Curiously, one of the sample files sometimes found with v2.10, INNARDS.COM, is an image of part of a hex dump of what looks like an older (lost or unreleased) version of GRABBER.COM. It contains the strings "GRABBER Ver. 2.0" and "Copyright (C) 1987 by Gerald A. Monroe". The sample files themselves appear to be identical or nearly identical to those that could be made by v2.10.

Format details

The default save filename for v2.10 to v3.00 is "SCREEN_A.COM", "SCREEN_B.COM", etc. For v3.20 to 3.35, it's "SCREEN00.COM", "SCREEN01.COM", etc. For v3.60 to 3.96, it's "SCREEN00.EXE", "SCREEN01.EXE", etc. Later versions try to derive a name from the running program, or "MSDOS00.EXE"... if there isn't one, or "SCREEN00.EXE"... as a last resort.

Identification

Information based on minimal research. May not be correct for all files.

v2.10-2.20 (COM format): No readable signature. The first 16 bytes are 

fb be 81 00 8a 4c ff 30 ed 09 c9 74 20 56 fc ac

v3.0 to 3.30 (COM format): There's a string at offset 5 that's either 

All Code Copyright (C) 1988 Gerald A. Monroe

or 

All Code Copyright (C) 1988, 1989 Gerald A. Monroe

v3.34-3.35 (COM format): There's a string at offset 5 that starts with 

This file was created by GRABBER.COM Version

Early EXE format (~3.50): Verification needed. At offset 49 is the string 

All Code Copyright (C) 1987-1990 by G. A. Monroe

v3.60-3.98 EXE format: At offset 49 is the string 

Created by GRABBER

Software

The GRABBER distribution (at least v3.87+) includes utilities for converting to common formats such as GIF and PCX.

Sample files

Retrieved from "http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/index.php?title=GRABBER&oldid=51126"
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