How to Turn off File Compression

[Al]

I have a user who has compressed various files in various folders
individually, that is, in each instance, he has right clicked the
file, clicked properties, clicked advanced, and selected compress file
only. There are vell over 100 files like this.

I am looking for a way to uncompress these files all at once, no
matter where they are located. I tried right clicking on drive C and
selecting properties, but "Compress Drive to save space" is not
checked. I then tried right clicking on a few of the folders that
contain compressed files, but again, "Compress Contents to save space"
is not checked.

It seems that since the files were compressed individually, one at a
time, I will have to to uncompress them in the same manner. This will
take days, as I will have to search inside every single folder on the
HD. There must be a faster way...

Thanks for your help.

Al

 

[Guest]

Try this: Go back to the Drive C box that lets you "Compress drive to save
space" and check it - then let it compress all files. When it is done, go to
the same place and UNcheck it -- and let it uncompress all files. The files
you want will be uncompressed as well.

GP

 

[Al]

I thought about this, but it would still take several hours. The Disk
in question has wel over 50GB if data... any other ideas?

Al

 

[Al]

Thanks for the suggestion! I thought about this, but it would still
take several hours. The Disk in question has well over 50GB if data...
any other ideas?

Al

 

[Guest]

You have to decide if my idea has merit. Would you rather be having a nice
cup of tea while it curns away, OR would you rather search each and every
subdirectory for compressed files and manually uncompress them?

Your choice. Remember, you can just go to a subdirectory that has a lot of
compressed files and use my method on just the folder itself - not ente
entire C drive if you can avoid it. As you noted originally, the "compress
files to save space" option exists down at the subfolder level.

GP

 

[Carl Kaufmann]

I have a user who has compressed various files in various folders
individually, that is, in each instance, he has right clicked the
file, clicked properties, clicked advanced, and selected compress file
only. There are vell over 100 files like this.

I am looking for a way to uncompress these files all at once, no
matter where they are located. I tried right clicking on drive C and
selecting properties, but "Compress Drive to save space" is not
checked. I then tried right clicking on a few of the folders that
contain compressed files, but again, "Compress Contents to save space"
is not checked.

It seems that since the files were compressed individually, one at a
time, I will have to to uncompress them in the same manner. This will
take days, as I will have to search inside every single folder on the
HD. There must be a faster way...

Thanks for your help.

Al

The command prompt is your friend. Start a command window, get to
the top directory of C: and use the compact command to uncompress
everything. Explicitly (making some assumptions):

Start-Run-CMD.EXE
cd \
compact /u /s /i *

Carl

 

[Al]

The command prompt is your friend. Start a command window, get to
the top directory of C: and use the compact command to uncompress
everything. Explicitly (making some assumptions):

Start-Run-CMD.EXE
cd \
compact /u /s /i *

Carl

Carl,

I knew there must be a simpler way... thank you. Believe it or not,
I can up with another solution. I created a tiny text file in the root
of drive C and then compressed it. Then, I selected this text file AND
all other folders in the root, and decompressed them. Windows was kind
enough to ask me if I wanted to decompress just the text file, or
everything in my selection - including subdirectories, Of course I
chose the latter.

 

[Guest]

But how to turn off the file compressing mechanism altogether? Or at least,
make it only manual, not automatic.

I can't figure out how XP decides when to compress a file; after 2 months of
no access? six? It sometimes compresses files for me without asking me. I
do not want it being that "helpful."

 

[stephenstanleybaker]

But how to turn off the file compressing mechanism altogether? Or at least,
make it only manual, not automatic.

I can't figure out how XP decides when to compress a file; after 2 months of
no access? six? It sometimes compresses files for me without asking me. I
do not want it being that "helpful."

I've ben having this problem too.. I've done a bit of searching and
this was the only solution I could find to the problem.

http://www.petri.co.il/forums/showthread.php?t=605

Basically involves Start->Run->cleanmgr highlight the compress files,
click on options and increase the date for the age of files to
increase to something very big.. I don't even know if it's worked
properly but it was the only other bit of information or offered
suggestion I could find about it.