reading binary, non-unix file

[Mickey Ferguson]

I'm using emacs 21.1.1 on Windows 2000 SP4, and I'm having trouble reading a file.  The file is a Dr. Watson crash dump.  Apparently it's got some binary characters in the file, causing emacs to think it's a Unix file, when it isn't.  When the file loads into Emacs, the mode line at the bottom says "(Unix)", and it displays a bunch of control character kinds of stuff.  If I just open the file in ordinary notepad, it views fine.

 

Question 1:  How do I load this file into emacs so that it's viewable, just like it is in notepad?  Of course I could open it in notepad, copy the entire buffer contents, and then paste it into an emacs buffer, but that's clunky.  I just want to be able to use ordinary find-file, or start up emacs directly with the file.  Alternatively, if loading it directly won't work, at least have some kind of function I can use so I can load it and edit.

 

Question 2:  How do I prevent emacs from ever loading in a file in this (unix) manner?  I'm never going to be loading any unix-created files on my system, and just want them loaded just the same as if I had loaded in notepad.

 

Please reply directly to me at MFerguson (AT) peinc (DOT) com, since I have no access to any usenet news host and thus can't read any responses in the newsgroups.  Thanks!