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londonweb

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 14, 2005
260
0
london
Does anyone know if it's possible or if there's software available to open AOHell's ART image format on a mac? Graphic converter doesn't want to know, nor does photoshop...
 
I ran into this problem a few years ago (when I was using a PowerBook G3 Lombard and OS 9), and although I can't remember exactly how I did it, I was able to open the .art files. Not a very helpful response, I know, but it is possible.
 
haha - thanks for the encouragement. I have done it before on my pc - you can use IE6 to open them but so far I've not found a way on the mac.
 
You can sign up for an AOL account (they're free now), start up the AOL software (the old all-in-one style), open the .ART file, and take a screen shot.

EDIT: It looks like the AOL software will let you open and display .art files without signing in, just tell it to ignore the sign-up stuff the first time you run it.

EDIT again: just adding some more details in case anyone else runs into these nasty little files:

If the AOL client isn't already preloaded in your Mac's applications folder, get it from http://downloads.channel.aol.com/macproducts Go ahead and use the "Easy install" option, it's not like the old Windows versions that used to screw up networking.

When the client starts up, you can press the Cancel button at the first-run Welcome dialog, if you don't have or want an account.

You'll now see the login screen, ignore it.

Pick File->Open… from the menu, find your .ART file, and do the dirty deed.
 
Thanks for this. The thought of installing AOL on my mac sends a shiver down my spine but I've got a client who keeps sending me images in this horrible ART format. I've gently suggested they switch off the compress images option in their AOL software but my requests were not met kindly...
 
God love AOHell

I just installed the software, opened the offending image and instead of showing it, it converted it to a sound file and played it....it did make quite an amusing noise though.

Unbelievable.

For the record- if a file doesn't have an extension, you'll need to add one in order for AOL to make sense of it, otherwise it'll get played as a sound file, apparently.
 
Yeah, it's evil. The windows version of AOL is at least nice enough to offer you the option of saving the file to another format, but no such luck with the Mac client.

MS took .art support out of IE6 because of a security hole, so that option has kind of dried up, what with all the automatic updates.
 
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