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Blog entry by Ola Bonner

How to View A01 Files on Any Platform with FileMagic

How to View A01 Files on Any Platform with FileMagic

An A01 file usually forms the second volume in a set of divided archives, and determining its role means scanning for companion files—if an .ARJ file appears alongside .A00, .A01, etc., it’s likely an ARJ multi-volume archive with .ARJ as the master index; if no .ARJ exists but .A00 does, .A00 is the opener, since A01 typically won’t work alone, and tools like 7-Zip/WinRAR can verify by loading the first piece, with failures typically triggered by incomplete volume sets, proving A01 is just one fragment.

A "split" or "multi-volume" archive is just one archive divided into smaller chunks so it’s easier to store, upload, or send under size limits, producing files like `backup.a00`, `backup.a01`, `backup. If you liked this article therefore you would like to receive more info regarding file extension A01 generously visit our internet site. a02` that each hold a continuous slice of data; in that arrangement, A01 is typically volume two and can’t open by itself because key structure and file-list data live in the first volume or main index (such as an `.ARJ` plus `.a00/.a01` files), and extraction software must start at the first chunk, pulling later volumes in order—with missing or corrupted parts causing errors like "unexpected end of archive" since the full sequence can’t be rebuilt.

You often see an A01 as numerous vintage archive tools used a numbering scheme where the extension reflects the volume order instead of a standalone format, making A00 the first slice, A01 the second, and so forth, allowing easy reconstruction; this is common in ARJ multi-volume archives where .ARJ holds the index and A00/A01 contain data, and in various backup workflows using "Axx," so A01 naturally appears whenever a second volume exists, especially when the true starting file is overlooked or missing.

86f21d2e777e1b81dcb48b5395fef45c_filemagic.com.pngTo open or extract an A01 set correctly, keep in mind that A01 is typically only part of a larger set in a multi-part archive, so you must begin with the file that contains the archive’s header and file list; first ensure all volumes are in the same folder with identical base names (like `backup.a00`, `backup.a01`, `backup.a02`), because extractors expect a continuous sequence, then identify the real starter—use the `.ARJ` if one exists, otherwise start with `.A00`—and open it with 7-Zip or WinRAR so the tool can pull the following parts automatically, with errors such as "unexpected end of data" or CRC failures usually indicating missing, corrupted, or unsupported volumes.

To confirm what your A01 belongs to in half a minute, view the files alphabetically to group related parts, then look for a .ARJ plus matching A00/A01/A02 files—an indicator of an ARJ multi-volume archive with .ARJ as the starting file; if only .A00 and higher exist, begin with .A00 and test it using 7-Zip/WinRAR → Open archive, checking afterward that the numbering has no gaps and the volumes are similar in size since missing chunks are the usual failure point.

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