GRABBER
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.
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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.
In INNARDS.COM in GRABBER 2.10 (with samples), there was a earlier 2.0 release (from 1987), but it hasn't been located. Magic numbers are:
GRABBER Ver. 2.0 Drive ë:
and:
Copyright (C) 1987 by Gerald A. Monroe
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
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
