GRABBER

File Format
Name	GRABBER
Ontology	Electronic File Formats Graphics GRABBER
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.

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. Versions that seem to work in DOSBox are 2.10 through 3.35, and 3.84 through 3.91.

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

v3.20 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

EXE files have ASCII "Created by GRABBER" at offset 49.

Software

• GRABBER
  • v2.10
  • v2.20: All Fritz → FILES/GRAPTIES/GRABBER2.LZH
  • v3.0: The Melting Pot 2.0 → MEALMAST/MYRECIPE.ZIP → GRABBER.COM (bare executable)
  • v3.2
  • v3.2K: Some of the files in Frostbyte's DOS Collection → floppyshareware//NWUG/CGAUTIL7.ZIP
  • v3.3
  • v3.34
  • v3.35: RBBS in a Box - Ver 3.1, Number 1 → HDNO/GRABV335.ZIP
  • v3.60
  • v3.70
  • v3.73
  • v3.77
  • v3.80: PC Sig Library 10th Edition → PC_SIGCD/27/7/DISK2775.ZIP
  • v3.81
  • v3.84: Frostbyte's DOS Collection → floppyshareware/KAND/GRABB384.ZIP
  • v3.85
  • v3.87
  • v3.90
  • v3.91: PC Sig Library 12th Edition → gra/disk2775.zip
  • v3.92
  • v3.93
  • v3.94
  • v3.96
  • v3.97
  • v3.98
  • Additional links at GRABBER/Alternative links.

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

Sample files

• Versions 3.90 and earlier include some DEMO*.EXE or DEMO*.COM sample files.
• dexvert samples — image/grabber
• AMENU310.ZIP → SCREEN_?.COM
• gas06.zip → SCREEN_A.COM
• ANDANTE.ZIP → README.COM
• BIBLMIND.ZIP → README.COM
• fedjobs.zip → FJOBS.ZIP → DEMO.ZIP → SCREEN??.COM
• Solar Heaven → olddemo/scr*.exe
• GRABBER.ZIP → *.COM, excluding GRABBER.COM