zip files don't work

For some reason my desktop no longer handles zip files, whether they are self executing or not. When I click on a self executing file it not only fails, but I cannot delete it. The system reports a sharing violation if I do. I thought it might be MS Explorer, but I tried to install an application from a CD, which comes in a zip file, and the install failed to launch.

 

Have you installed (or uninstalled) any other applications that handle zip folders?

Try:
Start > Run: regsvr32 zipfldr.dll
Click OK.

 

tried and received Successfu! No change in the status of the problem.

I have installed and removed Stuffit Deluxe 8.01. I removed Stuffit Deluxe as part of the attempt to fix the problem.

 

OK. Let's look at the file association.

Go to Control Panel, Folder Options, File Types tab.

Scroll down to zip and highlight it.

Click the Advanced button.

Highlight Find and click the Edit button.

The Application used to perform action should be explorer.exe.

Then back to the Open option. That application should be:
rundll32.exe zipfldr.dll,RouteTheCall %L

 

Brain Storming out loud:

Is this just with compressed zips and exe?

Could this not be a "sharing violation" as in: opened by another or in another app,

perhaps a network share problem or

if using "fast user switching" would two logged-in users cause this kind of problem?

Does taskman show two duplicate applications running that shouldn't be? [control\alt\del]

Are you trying to work with these files in winexplorer?....See
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q822227

Have you rebooted and tried to open,rename or delete these before opening or running anything else?

User permissions....Folder share permission.....hmmmm......Folder owned by another user??/

Does Stuffit have a support site? Could this be some kind of known bug or problem that is "software specific "? I'm not familiar with the program.

Well just got back from support site and this looks like it's worht a try:
http://www.aladdinsys.com/support/techsupport/qanda.php?id=378&sessionid=Array
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While it may well be a problem with association loss, the above were worth mentioning.

 

I tried the instructions Aladdin Systems provides for restoring WinXP following uninstalling Stuffit Deluxe - didn't help. I also reviewed Goddez' Microsoft article and the self-executing zip files are patches located on my desktop directory. I didn't use Explorer to access them.

Interestingly enough, I cannot delete the zip files - I receive an error message saying that an application is using the file. The application must be a subprocess or service, because it doesn't show up in the Task Manager.

 

Patches meaning updates? What kind of patches?

Did you install these from the desktop?

Can you uninstall them?

Can you move these off the desktop and put in another folder?

Have you tried logging in as "Administrator "? [Thats the actual admin account not a user account with admin privilege], and working with these?

 

Use the search function of Process Explorer to find out what is keeping these in use:

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/procexp.shtml

 

This should restore the default file associations for Zip (Compressed) folders:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/zip.reg

 

problem is with the VDM subsystem

Discovered that the problem is with the 16-bit subsystem, the virtual DOS machine, provided with WinXP and found in the system32 directory. The issue is a known one and MS provides documentation for the Autoexec.nt and Config.nt files along with the size of the Command.com file. However, they do not provide a simple download of the entire VDM to ensure that all of the files are as they should be. I am still trying to fix this issue.