Zip Files are Blocked

[Guest]

Hello,

I just installed SP2 and now I can't unzip files that are on our server.
When I try to extract the files I get this error "Windows has blocked access
to these files to help protect your computer" I know the files are good. Is
there anyway to change the settings so I can extract these files? I am using
the zip program that came with windows xp. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Mark

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

I just installed SP2 and now I can't unzip files that are on our server.
When I try to extract the files I get this error "Windows has blocked access
to these files to help protect your computer" I know the files are good. Is
there anyway to change the settings so I can extract these files? I am using
the zip program that came with windows xp. Any help is appreciated.

Hi,

Right click on the zip file and select Properties, and then the
"Unblock" button.

This is new functionality introduced by WinXP SP2, and you cannot turn
it off.

When using Internet Explorer to download files to a NTFS formatted
disk, for some file types (e.g. zip and exe), a NTFS stream is added
to the file that contains information about where it comes from.

Some workarounds to avoid doing this on every file in the future:

Option 1)

Use a 3rd party zip/unzip program that doesn't use this new
functionality.


Option 2)

Don't use Internet Explorer to download the files, but install a 3rd
party Web browser and use it instead (it is IE that adds the NTFS
stream to the file with the information that the file comes from
Internet)


Option 3)

If you must/want to use IE to download the files, use the command line
tool Streams.exe to purge any streams from the files after they are
downloaded.

You can download Streams from here:
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Streams.html

I suggest you put Streams.exe in the C:\Windows\System32\ folder to
have it in the path.

Now, when you want to clean out all the streams in files in a folder
inclusive subfolders, do the following:

Open a command prompt (Start/Run --> cmd.exe)

At the command prompt, type

"streams.exe -s -d "

without the quotes (note the trailing space!).

Then open an Explorer window (place the window so it doesn't cover the
command prompt completely) and in Explorer locate the folder you want
to operate on.

Drag the folder from the Explorer window into the command prompt. This
way the folder path will automatically be "typed" on the command line.

Then click on the command prompt window so it gets focus, and press
Enter to launch the Streams command.

 

[Guest]

I'm also experiencing this. The wonderful thing is, there is NO UNBLOCK
BUTTON on the properties dialog!

There was another suggestion in the forum here that involved the policies
editor which I am going to attempt. The settings in the policies editor for
attachment manager are all 'not configured'. I suppose I need to do a reboot
for any changes to take effect (making then disabled), so I will see what
happens after doing so.

If it matters, the .zip file I am opening was generated on a Win CE device,
using the zlib zip code, and it opens just fine with WinZip.....

The big question is (and I've seen this on more than one XP/SP2 machine
today)..
Why would I be getting the 'blocked' warning and no unblock button in
properties?

-ed

 

[sali]

my xp is not sp2, so i cant't check, but if blocking features is introduced
through "stream" [as stated earlier], and since stream is ntfs feature [like
some invisible additional file property], could'n't it be removed ny simply
copying downloaded zip to some non-ntfs file system [like floppy or usb,
which doesn't support stream, so stream info must be dropped], and then back
to original drive and then oppened?

 

[Guest]

I actually tried that. I also tried just copying the file to a FAT32 drive
and opening it there.
My belief is that it is the content of the file itself that is the issue,
not some flagging in the file system. If I paste in the binary contents of a
working zip file, it open just fine.

my xp is not sp2, so i cant't check, but if blocking features is introduced
through "stream" [as stated earlier], and since stream is ntfs feature [like
some invisible additional file property], could'n't it be removed ny simply
copying downloaded zip to some non-ntfs file system [like floppy or usb,
which doesn't support stream, so stream info must be dropped], and then back
to original drive and then oppened?

I'm also experiencing this. The wonderful thing is, there is NO UNBLOCK
BUTTON on the properties dialog!

There was another suggestion in the forum here that involved the policies
editor which I am going to attempt. The settings in the policies editor
for
attachment manager are all 'not configured'. I suppose I need to do a
reboot
for any changes to take effect (making then disabled), so I will see what
happens after doing so.

If it matters, the .zip file I am opening was generated on a Win CE
device,
using the zlib zip code, and it opens just fine with WinZip.....

The big question is (and I've seen this on more than one XP/SP2 machine
today)..
Why would I be getting the 'blocked' warning and no unblock button in
properties?

-ed

 

[Guest]

photon,

Did you ever solve this problem?? I have the exact same thing happening.

I have had a programmer create us a program that zips a folder on a local
computer, and when I try to open it, I get the same message, with the same
suggestion about checking "unblock" and then not having an unblock option.

We can open the files in winzip just fine, but like you, I will be putting
this program on clients' systems and don't really want to install winzip.

Please let me know.
Thanks,

I actually tried that. I also tried just copying the file to a FAT32 drive
and opening it there.
My belief is that it is the content of the file itself that is the issue,
not some flagging in the file system. If I paste in the binary contents of a
working zip file, it open just fine.

my xp is not sp2, so i cant't check, but if blocking features is introduced
through "stream" [as stated earlier], and since stream is ntfs feature [like
some invisible additional file property], could'n't it be removed ny simply
copying downloaded zip to some non-ntfs file system [like floppy or usb,
which doesn't support stream, so stream info must be dropped], and then back
to original drive and then oppened?

I'm also experiencing this. The wonderful thing is, there is NO UNBLOCK
BUTTON on the properties dialog!

There was another suggestion in the forum here that involved the policies
editor which I am going to attempt. The settings in the policies editor
for
attachment manager are all 'not configured'. I suppose I need to do a
reboot
for any changes to take effect (making then disabled), so I will see what
happens after doing so.

If it matters, the .zip file I am opening was generated on a Win CE
device,
using the zlib zip code, and it opens just fine with WinZip.....

The big question is (and I've seen this on more than one XP/SP2 machine
today)..
Why would I be getting the 'blocked' warning and no unblock button in
properties?

-ed


:

Mark Jackson wrote:

I just installed SP2 and now I can't unzip files that are on our
server.
When I try to extract the files I get this error "Windows has blocked
access
to these files to help protect your computer" I know the files are
good. Is
there anyway to change the settings so I can extract these files? I am
using
the zip program that came with windows xp. Any help is appreciated.
Hi,

Right click on the zip file and select Properties, and then the
"Unblock" button.

This is new functionality introduced by WinXP SP2, and you cannot turn
it off.

When using Internet Explorer to download files to a NTFS formatted
disk, for some file types (e.g. zip and exe), a NTFS stream is added
to the file that contains information about where it comes from.

Some workarounds to avoid doing this on every file in the future:

Option 1)

Use a 3rd party zip/unzip program that doesn't use this new
functionality.


Option 2)

Don't use Internet Explorer to download the files, but install a 3rd
party Web browser and use it instead (it is IE that adds the NTFS
stream to the file with the information that the file comes from
Internet)


Option 3)

If you must/want to use IE to download the files, use the command line
tool Streams.exe to purge any streams from the files after they are
downloaded.

You can download Streams from here:
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Streams.html

I suggest you put Streams.exe in the C:\Windows\System32\ folder to
have it in the path.

Now, when you want to clean out all the streams in files in a folder
inclusive subfolders, do the following:

Open a command prompt (Start/Run --> cmd.exe)

At the command prompt, type

"streams.exe -s -d "

without the quotes (note the trailing space!).

Then open an Explorer window (place the window so it doesn't cover the
command prompt completely) and in Explorer locate the folder you want
to operate on.

Drag the folder from the Explorer window into the command prompt. This
way the folder path will automatically be "typed" on the command line.

Then click on the command prompt window so it gets focus, and press
Enter to launch the Streams command.



--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx