Old Mac files Corrupt on OSX file server

[pnickol]

I have a fairly large number of corrupt files on a Mac OSX Server volume from a particular range of years (1999-2003). It is possible that the files were copied from a pre OSX server to the new. Along the way, at some point these files (of several different types including MS Word, .pdf, text, and assorted image formats, have lost any sort of recognizability. I have tried TRID, Graphic Converter, Text Wrangler, Text Edit, all Windows programs that I can imagine, with no luck.

There is one thing that I also notice: The files from those years have names with forward slashes in them (a UNIX no no). I don’t know if that is pertinent, but it does seem a coincidence that once the files start being named with dashes instead of slashes, they are readable again. (Obviously, I have tried renaming them to see if that would help, but it’s as though the damage is done).

Any help would be appreciated,

Peter

I believe that the OS X server software history for that data set goes from current – Leopard 10.5.6 back to Jaguar 10.2 (might only go back to Panther though, not sure)

[pnickol]

Thanks for your response. Filejuicer was very helpful. Not because it extracted much useful data, but it did give me some clues as to the origin of the files. Turns out that most – maybe all – the files were faxes created by Global Villiage GlobalFax software. So, if I can find an old copy of the software, and a computer and OS to run it on, we may be in luck.

On the other hand, the files may indeed be missing their resource forks and the damage may be done.

As far as backup, the data sits on a RAID 5 volume and we take a snapshot of that volume several times a year, but the snapshots are rotated and recycled so there are no snapshots from that era left.

Again, I appreciate your help.

[pnickol]

I found GlobalFax software and loaded on to Classic running machine and Viola! files are readable.

Boy did you help make me look good to my client!

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