Lol What a day ... I need a little more help.

No Rush on this ... I was playing around with my box AGAIN ... and created myself another problem ... ROTF LMAO - yah, I Know I shouldn't play with my box ... In the interest of it's safety ... lol ... but how else will I learn? ... Still ROTF

OK, I got it outta my system ...

Anyway it's only a little problem ... I can't unzip, zipped files by click them anymore ... Doing so now opens IE But I can unzip them with Extract All ...

How do I repair the damage I've done.

dog -

Man, I'm glad I've got you all to bail me out all the time

 

Hi dog,

Wouldn't want life to get too dull, would you?

The obvious first guess is that the file-type-association for zip's got messed up somehow -- try "open with" and then tick the "always use for this file type" box. Hopefully that'll clear it up.

Or you can edit the "actions" thing under File Types, but the first way is probably quicker and simpler.

Best,
Mike

 

Hi Dog,

You didn't tell which ZIP-program you're using

Is it WinZip?
If so, would this maybe help:

Start WinZip,
> Options,
> Configuration,
> System,

There you can associate WinZip with archives, and you can tell with which type of archives.

Does that help?

Cheers, Jan.

 

If you are using WinME or WinXP - do a System Restore to a day or two prior to your mess up. Things will be put back as it was before.

 

Hi All,

Thanks for your help.

OS = XP home

Can't use Restore ... I cleared it out prior to finding this problem. I tried correcting the file association thingy ... which XP reported had changed ... retried to open ... but it still opened an IE window. Tried "open with" after the file assoc. correction ... still the same. Zip program is the default one that comes with XP.

I can only open a zip file using - "extract all" option by right clicking the file.

Definitely, not!

Thankfully, Wilder's gives me the courage to play, learn and discover... 'Cause I know someone will bail me out! lol - thanks all; for contributing to my education.

Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Steve - aka dog -

 

Ok, just out of curiosity, if you go into Control Panel/Folder Options/File Types and select ZIP, what does it show for "opens with"? If you're using the XP built-in thing, should show "Compressed (zipped) folder".

Just for the heck of it, if you can't figure out a repair from there, see what happens if you remove ZIP (there's a button for that) -- all you'll do is (supposedly) remove any and all associations with programs. Then try rebooting, add ZIP back in and see what it's showing then. Or for that matter, see if ZIP has already been put back in while rebooting.

 

Hi Mike,

Yes, it shows compressed zip folder ... I tried correcting the association but no luck either way it opens an IE window ... I'll try removing, and rebooting ...

OK ... the results - trying to avoid excitement this time ROTF I set a restore point.

If I delete the assoc. and reboot ... when I go to add the file assoc. the "compressed zip" is not listed ... so I restored back to where I was ... Can I some how edit the function to point in the right place? ( I'll need directions there, though.

BTW: I think this would fit nicely into the "Can U Solve This" thread

Thanks again for the help. Any other ideas?

Steve -

 

hey dog,

the file is zipped...other than being zipped, what is it? I mean, if its like an animated .gif, or something, it could be that the only program you have that can "view" it is Internet Explorer. If that is the case, then it is not a problem unzipping, it is a problem viewing a certain file type without specifiying a different viewer (if you have one)

...but you did say you could decompress all. meaning, you could decompresses and then open it, and it goes somewhere else? We all love a good mystery!

HandsOff

 

Hi HandsOff,

It's a zipped program ... Yes, I can unzip it using extract all ... and can access the decompressed files this way ... I just can't left click it to decompress it automatically like I use to ... there something wrong with the file association, as it launches IE instead of unzipping it into its own subfolder.

I know its no big problem ... as I still have the functionality of it ... I'm just trying to figure out what I've done for my own education ... everythign else seems to be fine. Thankfully - lol

Any thoughts?

dog -

 

Ok, let's try editing the association. This would have been easier with screenshots, but I took careful notes by hand. I'm on XP Home too, by the way.

If File Types already shows ZIP, fine -- if not, hit "New" and add it.

If you then hit Advanced, there should be two actions shown, and I've listed what I show (presumably the Win defaults):

find

Code:

Application:  C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.exe
Tick "Use DDE"
DDE message: [FindFolder("%l", %I)]
Application:  Folders
DDE Appln not running:  (leave blank)
Topic:  AppProperties

open

Code:

Application:  rundll32.exe zipfldr.dll,RouteTheCall %L
Tick "Use DDE"
DDE message:  [ViewFolder("%l",%I,%S)]
Application:  Folders
DDE Appln not running:  []
Topic:  AppProperties

Whew! We'll run this play through till you get it right, as they say. Hope this helps.

Best,
Mike

(Edit next morning) It's difficult to tell with most fonts, of course -- but I'm assuming (or at least guessing) that in both instances of the DDE message, that first "%l" is a lower-case L, not numeral one.

 

Another thought. If you happened to have used regseeker to clean your
registry since I noticed you were visiting this thread....

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=29357

If you did clean your registry then try installing your backup .reg that
regseeker should have saved for you.

 

Hi Mike,

Wow Thanks for all the work and effort Mike, I really appreciate it!

Sorry, this post is so late ... I was sumbitting a post last night ... but the server went down.

I'll give it a shot and report back.

Thanks

Steve -

 

Hi Wall,

Yes ... used Regseeker many times to clean up my registery ... since that post in that thread. Unfortunately, I tried installing the backup.reg files (well the last 6 out of 10 anyway) ... I guess I should try the other 4.

But I'll try Mike's suggestion first.

Thanks

Steve -

 

Hi Mike,

I edited under advance like you said. What was there wasn't the same ... example : [ViewFolder(\"%l\", %I, %S)]

I entered the correct info ... but for some reason when I go back to check the data ... C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe ... is changed to ... C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe "%1"

Any idea why? -

Unfortunately ... the results when clicking the zip file are the same.

Steve -

 

Hi Steve,

As for the added "%l" in the explorer.exe line, that might have been just me being sloppy when I copied it and maybe I omitted that (probably critical) part. I wouldn't even try to guess how those added parameters are used.

I'd concentrate, however, on the "open" action rather than "find", since it sounds like that's where you've been having the problem. A thought just occurred to me -- is that dll (zipfldr.dll) actually on your drive somewhere? Knowing how perverse Win (especially XP) can be, maybe it's kicking in IE because it can't find the dll, but you'd think there'd be some kind of error message in that case.

And of course if all else fails, hopefully someone else will be along who actually knows how to help, instead of making almost-blind guesses like me.

 

Hi All,

Great News ... MIKE fixed it.

I tried deleting the old zip entry again... and created a new one using a printout of instructions Mike posted ... actual I had to try three times (same results the first two times - not fixed, but the third time was magical (I guess windows got bored with messing with me ... he he) ... but now it's exactly as it should.

Thanks Mike!

dog -

 

Great, dog, glad I could help. I can't claim any credit for technical knowledge, I just "read off" to you what mine was showing. As I'd commented to you via IM, my system's from an OEM shop and it was quite possible the dealer had done some customizing, but I was hoping he hadn't done anything special there and we were talking about XP defaults.

Best,
Mike