ZIP File Support - Restore

How to Restore the Built-in ZIP File Support in Vista​

   Information

This will show you how to restore the built-in ZIP file support in Vista by restoring the ZIP file association.

   Note

You may have used a program like WinZip, WinRar, or some other Zip program and Vista will now not go back to it's default Zip handler in explorer after you uninstalled the other program.

   Tip

If when you try to open a ZIP folder and it does not open in a Windows Explorer window, then turn on Compressed Folders. See related link below for how.

   Warning

This must be done while logged on to a administrator account.

Here's How:

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1. Click on the download button below and save the zipfix_vista.reg file to your desktop.​

NOTE: This also contains the reg file to turn on Compressed Folders.​

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2. Right click on the downloaded zipfix_vista.reg file and click on Merge.​

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3. Click on the Run button in the Security Warning pop-up. (See screenshot below)​

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4. Click on Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.​

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5. When done, you can delete the downloaded zipfix_vista.reg file if you like.​

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6. Restart the computer to apply changes.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Turn Compressed Folders On or Off in Vista
• Restore Default Vista File Extension Type Associations
• How To Zip (Compress) a File or Folder in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Zip Extracted Show Files Window

 

[rocky7st]

Thanks for the quick reply. I checked the .reg and it had regedit as the default program. I have attached a picture of my problem.

 

[Brink]

Rocky,

It looks like you have the program WinRAR installed from seeing the icons next to "Extract Files" and "Extract Here" in the context menu. Uninstalling this program would most likely restore your default ZIP associations afterwards.

When you right click on the .reg file, what do you see?

 

[rocky7st]

I uninstalled winrar but it made no difference. I have attached the error I get when I click on a zip file. If I right click and click "explore" it works how I want it to.

 

[Brink]

Rocky,

You might consider doing a System Restore using a restore point dated before you believe you had this problem to hopefully fix it.

 

[rocky7st]

I kinda of removed my previous restore points to clear up space. Guess I will have to use winrar.

 

[Brink]

When you right click on the .reg file, what do you see?

 

[rocky7st]

Here you go

 

[Brink]

Umm, I don't see how your still getting the "application not found" error when merging the .reg file when the .reg file extension is set for Registry Editor (C:\Windows\regedit.exe) in Default Programs.

Are you able to open regedit?

 

[rocky7st]

Yea no problem opening that.

 

[j k harrison]

I have been having lots of problem on my hp computer of the type coverd on these 9 pages so im going to use zipfix_vista.reg, why do you have to use merge before runing zipfix , whats the diff between using merge and not using merge ,
thanks john

 

[Brink]

Hello J.K. Harrison, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Double clicking on the .reg file to run (merge) it is the same as using the merge option from the contect menu. Either way is fine. I just used the merge instructoins since people may have changed their single or double click to open settings.

 

[j k harrison]

thanks for the info i just hope it works ill try it later

 

[j k harrison]

it did not work

the problem i have is, if i try to open any zip file i get the messge
Windows cannot open the folder.
The commpressed (zipped) folder c:\users\john\desktop\filename.zip' is invalid

if i try to Extract all i get the message

Cannot complete the compressed (zipped) folders extraction wizard
The compressed (zipped) is empty.
Before you can extract files ,you must copy
files to the compressed (zipped) folder.

if i use 7zip i can open zip and extract file to desk top, and if i then try and open file (not using 7zip) i get open with menu and if i select internet explorer i then get the do you want to open or save this file menu.
if i save it, it save the file back to desktop as a zipped file and then opens correcty.
if i select open, it then goes to the Do you want to save this file menu, if i save it it save file to desktop as a zip file and opens correcty

This is after trying zipfix vista.reg, vistzip.reg, and vistaunzip.reg none of these seem to restore my my computer back to how it used to run before it mesed up.

Before i tried all this a week ago i done a factory reset from new from the hard drive, the zip files still would not open, Then i done a factory reset from new from the recovery disk which i made 3 months ago still the same the same problem.
All i want to do is be able to open zip files with the original software which came with my computer rather than have to mess around with 3rd party programs like 7zip.

When i used zipfix vista.reg i did not get the menu that was on page 1 what i got insted was this.
Adding information can unintentionally change or delate values and cause components to stop working correctly . if you do not trust the source of this information in c:\users\desktop\zipfix vista.reg. do not add it to the registry
I then press YESS then i get
The keys and values contained in c:\users\john\desktop\zipfix_vista.reg have been successfully added to the registry.
I then press OK
i got the same menus with vista zip.reg and vistunzip.reg
but none worked please any ideas how to help me

JOHN

 

[Brink]

John,

Try the ZIP download at this link below instead to see if it may work better to restore it for you. It has a lot more default registry entries included in it. You may need to restart afterwards to apply it.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/233243-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

 

[j k harrison]

I tried default_zip.reg with 4 different zip files, I just downloaded after installing default_zip.reg, but they still wont open with windows but i tried a couple with 7zip and they open okay.
Also i get this
on the menu where you click save to save to desktop, if i click open instead i get ,
Internet explorer security
a website wants to open web content using this program on your computer,
This program will open outside of protected mode. internet explores PROTECTED MODE helps protect your computer. if you do not trust do not open.
( I then click allow ) i then get
Windows cannot open the folder
The compressed (zipped) folder.
C\user\john\Appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporay internet files\low\ content.IE5\6DO7H963\alewagon[1].zip is invalid

i get this when i try to open any zip file on any web site

Im going to sleep now ill check again tomorrow

JOHN

 

[Brink]

That would be normal to get that "a website wants to open web content using this program on your computer" if you click on OPEN for a download instead of SAVE.

Sounds like you may have some form of file corruption. See if running a SFC /SCANNOW command to see if there may be a bad system file and hopefully fix it.

 

[j k harrison]

Ive ran SFC /SCANNOW and this is the result.

Windows resource protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Details are included in the CBS.log windir\Logs\CBS\\CBS.log . for example
C:windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

if obtained the sfcdetails.txt which is below

[SR] Cannot repair member file [l:24{12}]"settings.ini" of Microsoft-Windows-Sidebar, Version = 6.0.6001.18000, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
[SR] Cannot repair member file [l:24{12}]"settings.ini" of Microsoft-Windows-Sidebar, Version = 6.0.6001.18000, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_IA32_ON_WIN64 (10), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
[SR] Cannot repair member file [l:24{12}]"settings.ini" of Microsoft-Windows-Sidebar, Version = 6.0.6001.18000, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
[SR] This component was referenced by [l:16{81}]"Package_20_for_KB936330~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.1.18000.936330-33_neutral_GDR"
[SR] Could not reproject corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:72{36}]"\??\C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar"\[l:24{12}]"settings.ini"; source file in store is also corrupted
[SR] Cannot repair member file [l:24{12}]"settings.ini" of Microsoft-Windows-Sidebar, Version = 6.0.6001.18000, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_IA32_ON_WIN64 (10), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch
[SR] This component was referenced by [l:162{81}]"Package_20_for_KB936330~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.0.1.18000.936330-33_neutral_GDR"
[SR] Could not reproject corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:84{42}]"\??\C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar"\[l:24{12}]"settings.ini"; source file in store is also corrupted
[SR] Repair complete
[SR] Committing transaction
[SR] Verify and Repair Transaction completed. All files and registry keys listed in this transaction have been successfully repaired

it look like all the errors it found are to do with windows sidebar
im not sure what to do next, this is pushing my computer skills to the limit ive only had computer for 6 months
Ive been told by HP to try a new web browser like fire fox 3.5 to see wheather intrnet explorer is causing the problem what do you think.
John

 

[Brink]

John,

It will not hurt anything to try Firefox, but I do not see how IE could be causing it though since the built-in ZIP handler in Vista is handled by Windows Explorer and Compressed Folders instead.

I'm not sure why it is still not working for you. Since it appears that only a clean reinstall of Vista may be needed to fix it, you might continue to use 7-Zip until you decide or need to.

 

[j k harrison]

Here are a few more things about my problem.
All the zip file that i download on my hp that dont run, also dont run on my acer net book i use at work.
All the zips that i download on my acer net book at work all run on my hp at home.
It seem my hp does somthing to the zip to stop them from opening.
I can open the zips on my hp with 7zip and they all seem to open ,but if i use winzip none open at all .
This morning i download 7 ziip files none open with vista, and 6 of them did not open with Extract all but 1 did which was the Default zip you told me to try the other day ,it does not open with OPEN but it opens with Extract all now im really confused (they all open with 7zip)
The SFC /SCANNOW that you told me to try, and produced the Window sidebar errors, is this a problem that needs to be fixed or is it all right ,could this be causing my zip opening problems.
How do i do a clean reinstall of vista
John

 

[Brink]

John,

I would not think the Sidebar would have anything to do with this problem.

You can scroll down to the Restore the PC to its original condition with the HP Recovery Manager from within Windows Vista section in the link below for how to do a factory restore on your HP computer to restore Vista. This will wipe everything on your Vista hard drive out, so be sure to backup anything that you do not want to lose first though.

HP Notebook PCs -  Using HP Backup and Recovery Manager