IE7 battles WinRAR for ZIP control!

[Larry]

Just wanted to point to a huge problem between a new IE7 upgrade and WinRAR
for control of ZIP files. It seems IE7 defaults to hijack ZIP file
control, no matter what's in the registry, as WinRAR is set as the default
program to handle ZIP files, which it does, beautifully.

The symptom is real easy to spot. Double click on a zip file in
WinExplorer and the screen/computer just goes crazy with IE7 booting,
unbooting, booting, unbooting as fast as the hard drive can do it, about
every 2 seconds. I watched it happen on both Task Manager, which, of
course, only lets you see part of what's running, and more accurately with
Process Explorer (www.sysinternals.com), forced to always be on top of the
video fray driving the monitor crazy. The OS never got around to booting
WinRAR with IE7 going berserk, so it wasn't part of the problem, at all.

The solution is quite simple. Open WinRAR and click on OPTIONS then
SETTINGS then pick the INTEGRATION tab. Uncheck the ZIP file to get WinRAR
to release it, then recheck ZIP file so WinRAR retakes control. Click OK
to store the registry setting, which must overwrite IE7's hijack, and close
WinRAR. Doubleclicking on a ZIP file in Explorer, once again, results in
WinRAR opening so you can do what you want with the files inside the ZIP,
without further interference.

The only way I found to stop the looping craziness was to hold down the
power button until it forced the power supply off as there was no control,
whatsoever, from inside Windows during the looping craziness. WinRAR still
has control of RAR files, but I'm not sure it still has control of other
non-proprietary formats it supports. Wrestling control away from IE7 will
probably be similar when that time comes...(c;


Larry

 

[Richard Urban]

IE7 has nothing to do with zip files. There is something else going on with
your system that you have, as of yet, to discover. I am sure it will
manifest itself in time.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Larry]

IE7 has nothing to do with zip files. There is something else going on
with your system that you have, as of yet, to discover. I am sure it
will manifest itself in time.

IE7 was the only installation and it was what was coming up when I
doubleclicked ZIP files, which always brings up WinRAR. It's all working
again, now that WinRAR has reasserted itself. I'm no expert, just telling
what I found and what fixed it.

Larry