Stack Library


Home Library Index	Tools to inspect, alter, and repair stacks TIP: Always make a backup copy before you repair or modify a stack.

Repair Corrupted Stacks
Recover Stack	This stack can often rescue damaged stacks. It works by creating a new stack that's an exact copy of the damaged one, except that any corrupted cards will have been deleted. [by Greg Jorgensen; 10 K]



Modify Standalones
Newer versions of HyperCard have the ability to save a stack as a standalone which doesn't require HyperCard or the HyperCard Player. This can be useful in a few situations, but greatly increases the stack's size.



Standalone Size Reducer	HyperCard installs a number of standard resources (sounds, icons, XCMDs, etc.) into any standalone you create, whether you need them or not. This stack analyzes your standalone and deletes any unneeded resources, reducing your standalone's size by up to 130 K. [by Lewis Leiboh; 44 K]


Standalone Deconverter (also called Standalone Stripper)	This stack can convert a HyperCard standalone application back into a regular stack, which reduces its size by about 750 K and allows you to access its scripts. It works by removing the stock standalone resources, changing the file's Type and Creator codes to "STAK" and "WILD", and clearing the new stack's "hasBundle" bit. NOTE: This stack requires the Power Tools stack which comes with the full version of HyperCard and can't be downloaded anywhere. [by Stu MacKenzie; 36K]



Eliminate HyperCard Viruses
Vaccine* (link to another site)	Vaccine detects and eliminates script-based HyperCard viruses. These are viruses which spread by secretly modifing the scripts of other stacks. The full name of this stack is actually "merryXmas Vaccine" because it was originally created to combat the merryXmas virus. [by Bill Swagerty; Free; 145 K] *Note: The link takes you to the HyperCard Virus Compendium at the HyperActive Software site, where you'll find the latest version of Vaccine and detailed info about HC viruses. Use your browser's Back button to return here.

Import, Export, or Modify Sounds
Sound Mover	Sound Mover isn't a stack, but it's a classic program by award-winning shareware author Riccardo Ettore that makes it easy to import, rename, remove, or modify sounds in stacks. [by Riccardon Ettore, 84 K]

Password Utilities
These stacks allow you to bypass password protection. I hesitate to post them because they can be misused, but they do serve legitimate purposes (for example, if you forget the password to one of your own stacks). HyperCard offers two kinds of password protection: 1) standard password protection, which asks for a password only if you try to open the Protect Stack dialog (in the File menu), and 2) Private Access, which prevents a stack from being opened at all unless a password is entered. (Private Access is rarely used on stacks intended for distribution.) Some stack authors go further and create their own protection schemes, often to disable certain features on shareware stacks until payment is made. There are a few utility stacks which try to bypass these kinds of custom schemes, but I'm not going to post them here as I believe they are mainly used by people who are trying to avoid paying for shareware.

Deprotect	Deprotect allows access to stacks protected with HyperCard's built-in password protection. CAUTION: I've heard that Deprotect works with stacks made with version 1 of HyperCard (which you'll rarely encounter these days), but may damage stacks made with version 2.0 or newer. Make a backup first. [12 K]

Unprotect	Deprotect allows access to stacks protected with HyperCard's built-in password protection. CAUTION: I've heard that this stack works on stacks made with version 2.0 or later of HyperCard, but may damage older stacks. Make a backup first. [by John Derocher; 20 K]


Misc. Tools
Development Tools Palette	The author of these tools has worked on Apple's HyperCard team! Sometimes when you're looking at someone else's work or debugging your own, you want to be able to move around without system messages like openCard going off. These tools give you an interface for doing that, plus several other nifty tricks. I highly recommend it. [by Paul Foraker; 15 k]

HyperBench	Ever wonder if using "the target" is faster than "target()"? Do you stay up late trying to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of your HyperTalk scripts? HyperBench makes it easy to compare the performance of two different HyperTalk statements, or even a group of statements. Just enter your two scripts in the fields provided and click "Test 'Em." HyperBench will run each script multiple times and then indicate which is faster, and by what percentage. [Fourth World; 24K]