Windows Xp Integrated Zip Option Problem

[jblanton]

Hello,

I am a network admin for a smaller company. One of our sales guys recently started having the infamous "Windows is blocking access to this file for your protection" error when he tries to extract files from a .zip that is sent automatically from one of our sister companies. It says you can go to properties and click "unblock" which of course I did and which of course makes absolutely no difference. When he double clicks the zip it appears empty. When he clicks "extract all files" it gives the old Blocking this file error mentioned previously. I searched around google and read a couple suggested fixs and nothing has worked. I tried a Registry entry that marks certain files as low risk. I made sure he is a local admin of his machine. I logged in as domain admin and tried it myself...same result. I am kind of at a loss here and he really needs to be able to view and extract zip files. Could it be an update he got and installed? As of right now we dont yet have SMS or WSUS so users pretty much get to pick their own updates (I know its dumb but I just started.). It cant really be a group policy because everyone operates under the same policy and it works fine for them. He is running Windows Xp Pro SP2. Any advice someone smarter then me could offer would be greatly appreciated because I am completely out of ideas. I temporarily downloaded winrar for him but the trial period is about to run out and for the amount of zips he opens a day its not really a productive solution. He would really like to be able to use the integrated zip option in xp for quickness and ease of use. Thanks for your time.

 

[linney]

Have you tried placing your "sister companies" in the Intranet or Trusted Zone of IE?

Description of how the Attachment Manager works in Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;883260#kb1

Opening .exe Attachments with the Outlook E-mail Security Update

http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/getexe.asp

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2brows.mspx#E6C

Disable security warnings
thread779-918724

 

[jblanton]

Well he receives Zips from around 50 different companies as well as Design plan zips from customers. I did just try to add one of our other local intranets to the trusted list in IE and sent a zip to him for the same result..Very Frustrating.

 

[linney]

Have you looked at "Policy values for urlAction" in -
Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2brows.mspx#E6C

 

[jblanton]

I am looking at it now, but heres the thing. He doesnt always download the zip files through IE. Most of his customer design files come through a third party app called PlanWell. So I dont exactly know how integrated IE is with xp but I have to doubt that its IE causing this issue. I am looking at that article now. Thanks alot for the replies.

 

[jblanton]

You can open a blocked file from a known source if you want to. To open a blocked file, follow these steps: 1. Right-click the blocked file, and then click Properties.
2. In the General tab, click Unblock.


This is the fix MS always gives and it just absolutely does not work as local admin or domain admin. Grrrrr

 

[Lemon13]

there are loads of free unzipper on the net, why dont you use one of those.

 

[jblanton]

Because as I said before he is viewing and opening 50-100 + zips a day. He doesnt always want to extract everything out of them. It's also just not a productive solution because then he doubles the space they all take up effectivly. He is not that computer savy of an individual so trying to walk him through unzipping, picking your folder, deleting the origional, and ect will only cause MANY future headaches for me. On top of that he has used the integrated zip option in windows xp for over a year now and it should work there is no reason why it shouldn't. And one last reason is we don't install 3rd party software on our network just as a security precaution as some of the images and information...blueprints ect.. are very sensitive and confidential information.

 

[linney]

Which version of IE are we talking about? Which ever version, it is so embedded in to XP that it may effect other Internet activities by other browsers etc. The only way I know to separate IE from XP is at the pre XP Setup time, otherwise it is a big part of XP.

Repair methods for IE depend on which version you are running. The common denominator would be running SFC /Scannow to check for corrupt System files.