DOS ain't dead - Decompiling an old custom dos executable file

Decompiling an old custom dos executable file (Users)

posted by bocke, 19.08.2023, 12:43

> An update to this not sure if this helps but... the exe in question was
> compiled with Quicksilver 1.2.
>
> Is there a decompiler for this?

I actually never heard of Quicksilver. It seems to be a 3rd party Clipper compiler. I found very few valid items in Google query results.

These are a couple of Google Books links with some more info:

This is an article from PC Mag 1987-07 that reviews several compilers for DBase.

This is a review of a Quicksilver release from 1988-05 release of PC Mag:

Not very useful for you, but does give a bit more background info for others.

Anyways there is no any mention of Quicksilver beyond 87-88, so I guess it's lost in the history. But plink 86 might not be Quicksilver specific. It seems to have been also used by Clipper in early versions.

The Computer Languages magazine from 1985-04 ran an add for programmer's tools by authors of Latttice C. Included is plink 86:

Plink 86 — a two-pass overlay linkage editor
that helps solve memory problems.

https://archive.org/details/Computer_Language_Issue_08_1985-04_CL_Publications_US

This might well be the early version of this utility. As it likely does some overlay mangling, it's likely to be hard to decompile with standard tools.

Well, at least if I'm right that it's the same tool.

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Complete thread:

Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - PGN_DOS88, 31.07.2023, 23:28
- Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - Laaca, 01.08.2023, 06:25
  - Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - dggionco, 01.08.2023, 13:32
    - Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - Guti, 01.08.2023, 14:55
      - Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - bocke, 19.08.2023, 12:22
- Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - PGN_DOS88, 01.08.2023, 17:33
  - Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - PGN_DOS88, 15.08.2023, 01:55
    - Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - bocke, 19.08.2023, 12:43
      - Decompiling an old custom dos executable file - PGN_DOS88, 20.08.2023, 19:16