Optimize archive on Context Menu

[manuangi]

download the following file:
http://www.vallen.de/freeware/jpsetup.exe
it’s an sfx zip archive

then extract it with PA; you’ll get an “Error reading ZIP” file message, and nothing will be extracted.
WinR** does that smoothly.

now, repairing the archive with the proper PA feature does the trick…but, is the sfx zip archive really broken? then, why WinR** extracts it and PA fails?

ah, I’m using 9.20.07

[TBGBe]

I agree PA doesn’t recognise it as sfx Zip - but neither does 7-Zip.
Sorry, don’t have RAR installed here.

[davidsplash]

I have tested it with winzip and it failed to recognise it as a zip sfx file

however winrar recognised it as a zip sfx.

This is defibatly a zip sfx file. Do you know what program created it?

[spwolf]

As mentioned numerous times before, if zip sfx is not created properly (and central directory is not updated due to it being an sfx), PA will not be able to open it. You would have to use zip repair tool in order to “fix” the file.

thanks,

[manuangi]

@spwolf:

As mentioned numerous times before, if zip sfx is not created properly (and central directory is not updated due to it being an sfx), PA will not be able to open it. You would have to use zip repair tool in order to “fix” the file.

thanks,

yes, but, as mentioned numerous times before ;) , you can’t pretend a normal user to know he has to use the repair feature, also because PA gives no hints about that either.
what I’d like is PA to directly recognize those kind of files…I think, forgive me if I’m rude, you can’t make excuses based on the way the sfx file was created.
Eventually, Win*** extracts it, PA does not…and, when it happens with many files (it does, we’re at #5 now with my threads about that) what app do you think a normal user would be driven to use?

[spwolf]

@manuangi:

yes, but, as mentioned numerous times before ;) , you can’t pretend a normal user to know he has to use the repair feature, also because PA gives no hints about that either.
what I’d like is PA to directly recognize those kind of files…I think, forgive me if I’m rude, you can’t make excuses based on the way the sfx file was created.
Eventually, Win*** extracts it, PA does not…and, when it happens with many files (it does, we’re at #5 now with my threads about that) what app do you think a normal user would be driven to use?

Normal user would just use the sfx :-). And it is not excuses - it is an bad sfx, written outside of the zip standards, and PA zip engine does not want to read zip files that are bad. You can use repair tool to repair it, but thats the extent of what we can do about that.

regards,

[arvidjaar]

@spwolf:

Normal user would just use the sfx :-). And it is not excuses - it is an bad sfx, written outside of the zip standards, and PA zip engine does not want to read zip files that are bad. You can use repair tool to repair it, but thats the extent of what we can do about that.

regards,

You can stop pretending you can open archive when you cannot. The most annoying “feature” is, in Explorer context menu user sees the “Open with PowerArchiver”, but selecting this action just brings error message.

Please, do not show “Open with PowerArchiver” for those files that can NOT be opened with PowerArchiver

Thank you

=arvi=

[spwolf]

@arvidjaar:

You can stop pretending you can open archive when you cannot. The most annoying “feature” is, in Explorer context menu user sees the “Open with PowerArchiver”, but selecting this action just brings error message.

Please, do not show “Open with PowerArchiver” for those files that can NOT be opened with PowerArchiver

Thank you

=arvi=

It is not that simple - PA (and every other compression program) checks for proper sfx header. However it does not test the archive to see if it is corrupt (which is what PA is thinking in this case and doesnt want to open it).

We can not test archives when you right click on the file, that would bring long delays when you right click on files in explorer, which would be even more annoying I would assume.

[TBGBe]

@spwolf:

You would have to use zip repair tool in order to “fix” the file.

Yes, but I do think there is room for improvement somewhere…

A) “the user” tries to extract using shell sees the message < error reading ZIP file > or
B) “the user” tries to open with PA using shell sees the message < it may be corrupt or is not in the proper format >

In order to “fix” the file “the user” has to

1A) Open PA to access the Zip Repair (from A)
1B) Know to use ZIP Repair (on an exe file - from B)
2) Know how to access the sfx using the Repair tool (not explained in the Help file)
3) Use “Create self extracting Zip” on the _PAFixed.zip

Hm, maybe this should be moved to wishlist?

[spwolf]

Figure out an way to better inform users that they can repair zip sfx’s with bad headers?

[arvidjaar]

@TBGBe:

Yes, but I do think there is room for improvement somewhere…

1B) Know to use ZIP Repair (on an exe file - from B)

PowerArchiver Repair menu does not allow selection of exe files - it is hardcoded to *.zip. As long as we discuss sfx problem - should it not suggest exe too?
@TBGBe:

2. Know how to access the sfx using the Repair tool (not explained in the Help file)
3. Use “Create self extracting Zip” on the _PAFixed.zip

Hm, maybe this should be moved to wishlist?

yep. For exe files automatically fix and create _PAFixed.exe

Actually, may be even further - user tries to open archive, PA detects it is corrupted, suggests to fix it and automatically opens fixed archive (normal or sfx).

That would be really nice given that overall program is near to perfect :)

TIA

=arvi=

[TBGBe]

@arvidjaar:

PowerArchiver Repair menu does not allow selection of exe files - it is hardcoded to *.zip. As long as we discuss sfx problem - should it not suggest exe too?

Makes sense, as it will actually “work” on Zip sfx files.
Probably also need a note that not all sfx formats are supported (is it only Zip? ).

@arvidjaar:

user tries to open archive, PA detects it is corrupted, suggests to fix it and automatically opens fixed archive (normal or sfx).

Within PA, could offer “Run Repair Tool ?” - Yes/No.
From Shell extension, suggest Opening PA and running Repair Tool.

This is assuming that PA can identify a corrupted Zip sfx as distinct from CAB/7z sfx etc.
Proposing to use Repair Tool on an unsupported format would add an extra level of confusion making it worse than we currently have!

[manuangi]

as proposed, an automated tool could do the trick:
when you get an error extracting a sfx zip file, PA could prompt “try to repair it”?
then, two solution (checkable): “repair” “repair and create new sfx”

then, in PA itself, when one wants to run the repair tool, exe files should be between the choosable ones…I understand few exe files are sfx zip, but getting a “not a sfx zip file” is definitely better than not seeing the sfx zip (exe) file we’re searching, better than having to insert it manually.

[davidsplash]

the repair tool only works on zip files so you have to change the exe to a zip extension before it will work. i hope the repair tool can do this automatically if it needs to reapiar a file.

[TBGBe]

@davidsplash:

the repair tool only works on zip files so you have to change the exe to a zip extension before it will work…

@TBGBe:

1B) Know to use ZIP Repair (on an exe file - from B)

Actually, when you use the Open Dialogue within the repair tool, it seems as if will only allow selection of ZIP files - however you can type in the sfx filename e.g. ARCHIVE.EXE
The repair tool will work and produce a " _PAfixed.zip" file.