XP Zip folder Assoc. challenge
 

Hi,

Here's one to test the techie prowess...

I installed a brand X zip suite on XP Home and then removed it to go back to the original "Compressed Folder" scheme XP uses. WRONG. Think this is simple? No, it's not just re-association of the zip extension any more, nor just a registry import any more.

In the length of time I used brand X, I've updated all my updates/hot fixes, etc. The compressed folder scheme uses a dll in the system32 folder, zipfldr.dll. There are a number of articles that show you USED TO be able to unregister zipfldr.dll, run a Registry import, re-register the dll and re-associate the ZIP extension and be back to the original.

The persistent handler now seems to own the section of registry that used to handle the compressed folder scheme. Every time I try to update the registry, some keys are open / in use and only part of the registry import gets in.

The zipfldr.dll no longer registers or unregisters without a registry access error. The file zipfldr.dll is auto maintained from the dll cache, so I had to kill the file name in 3 places before XP whined it wanted to restore the file from I386.

I went to safe mode, stripped every possible service / driver out that I could and STILL, the registry is locked while trying to insert the registry patch to either HKCR\.zip\CompressedFolder or HKLM\software\classes.

Does that mean I have to set the registry patch as a runonce and insert the fix during a re-boot? Or how the heck do you force feed a registry patch into this region during runtime?

I mean come on Bill, it's just a file compressor... So, any ideas? I've scrubbed Google clean and have found nobody with this issue of persistent registry lock yet.

I'm open for ideas to try and thanks to anyone that offers. :confused:

Mike

Hi Urbansound,

Give a this reg file (attached) a try.

If you are unable to unzip use this file zipfolder_fix.txt and rename it to zipfolder_fix.reg and run it.

The challenge continues. ;-)
 

Great try Sami, thanks! This is the more complex of the two reg imports I already tried. (Sorry, I should have mentioned them more explicitly).

Error is the same. "Cannot Import (filename). Not all data was successfully written to the registry. Some keys are open by the system or other processes."

I even tried renaming all four copies of zipfldr.dll, to zipfldr_WAS.dll and rebooting since I couldn't reg or unreg the dll. (found an older zipfldr.dll in system32\$NTServicePackUninstall$, dated 2002, the others are all 8/4/2004, so must be an SP2 updated fix).

This is what leads me to believe that the reg fix will have to be imported as a "runonce" sequence at boot time. I've worn out Google looking for anyone else that has seen this, but so far this is a first where the fix couldn't be imported.

My guess is that a recent security update identified the folder/compression system as a potential exploit somewhere, patched it shut by recent hot-fix, making it persistent. But, that's only a guess based on behavior. I suppose a well clobbered registry could possibly cause the same thing, but the system runs without any other issues.

Any other ideas or should I grind XP through a repair? I really hate to do that, if a runonce could work, or I lose all my other reg edits. So, I've been Googling on how to set it up to try that and insert the same fix at boot-time.

Any suggestions on how to approach it that way?

Thanks more :icon_wink:

Mike