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.
Mike