Searching for old DOS-based program - Crunch

[simogi]

I am a researcher. About 25 yr ago, I have been using a statistical package called CRUNCH, storing database files in a CSC format (which has nothing to do with Corel format, I think). I do not have anymore the program, but would need to rescue data from those database. I looked on the internet to try to find at least some information, but was unsuccessful. I also tested some programs that supposedly shoul open CSC files, but the results have been frustrating. Is anyone who can help?

[foxidrive]

Are the CSC files a text or binary format?



It's not a set of signal processing routines written for C programmers, is it?

1) Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)
2) Wavelet Transform
3) Coherence Analysis
4) Autocovariance
5) Crosscovariance
6) Spectral Analysis
7) Cross Spectral Analysis
Linear Regression
9) Moments Analysis
10) Digital Filtering of data
11) Wigner-Ville Transform

[simogi]

Probably written in C (I am not a C programmer, of course). And I assume that they are in binary format, as I could not open with any text programmes I used.

[foxidrive]

Can you supply one of the files for download, or post a hexdump of the first couple of lines?

[simogi]

Yes, I can. How may I give you the file? Email? Dropbox? They are pretty small.

[Squashman]

a dropbox link would be fine.

[simogi]

Ok. Thank you.
This is just one of the files I should convert in a readable way.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kyxcgz4jlmtt3si/DAHLEND.CSC

[foxidrive]

Thanks for the example file.

It looks to be a medical report, and is mostly encrypted.

Can you give any further details about the program used to create the files? Programmer name, date of use, software company, is the software called CRUNCH or something else? Maybe someone can track it down or find a tool to recover the data.

[ShadowThief]

This will be interesting; http://www.wysk.com/index/california/sa ... on/profile says the company that made the software was dissolved a few years ago, making the Crunch Interactive Statistical Package (CRISP) abandonware at best, as the patent was cancelled in 2006.

[ShadowThief]

http://books.google.com/books?id=6TfdBo ... ng&f=false

Note the last paragraph: "[...]Crunch uses key-disk copy protection[...]"

In other words, the data cannot be decrypted without the correct disk inserted into the computer.

[simogi]

Yes. This is what I was afraid of. Is there any way to decrypt without the program? It would be extremely unlikely that someone stil has the original disks. Unfortunately.
I learn that you should never give-up old computer material that you think is useless.
Thank you for you attempts.

[foxidrive]

Good sleuthing ShadowThief.

I can't find a place to download crisp/crunch.

Your best bet might be to look at the documents where it was used, and ring the establishments that used it to see if they still maintain a copy.

[foxidrive]

Is there any way to decrypt without the program?

You'd need a copy of the unencrypted data and the encrypted data, to reverse engineer the algorithm.
It's not something you'd attempt without a lot of free time.

[simogi]

Thanks. Too much. And I do not have unencrypted data.

[einstein1969]

Thanks. Too much. And I do not have unencrypted data.

Code: Select all

DATA    04-23-1993 05-03-1993

codex number of the laboratoryIVS3

postmortem Heart Weight
...
pm brain weight
...
24 hour creatinine excretion
....

Unfortunately it is a long job and would not lead to any results. It is worthwhile to pursue this route? This only you know.

To continue, we must know something about the data that you are processing.

Send me PM.

einstein1969