Need serious help with zip files - can't download them

Everything converts to .efw

[barbe]

About 4 months ago, I downloaded StuffIt so I could open .efw files that clients were sending. It took over my system and every file (zipped or not) that I received via email or I downloaded were converted to .efw with no way for me to tell it otherwise.

So, the other night I deleted StuffIt.

Everything is STILL being converted to .efw.
I can not download .zip files from websites.
I can not receive .zip files via emails in Outlook or Hotmail.
I CAN however receive them via Yahoo email only. Go figure.

So ... how in the world do I get my computer back to normal so I can receive .zip files again and not have another .efw ever again?

I can't get WordPress ... I can't get Pligg ... I can't do anything right now!

[Marcia]

Are you on a PC or a Mac?

[barbe]

I am on a PC, XP Business Edition (or whatever it's called - not Home)

It's like whatever was downloaded with StuffIt to make it the dominate file compression/uncompression program on my computer stayed even after deleting StuffIt.

[Marcia]

>after deleting StuffIt

Did you simply delete the files, or uninstall the application?

What happened is that the program changed your settings to become the default application for zipped files when you installed it. You'll have to go into the control panel, uninstall it there if you don't want it and haven't uninstalled it, and set the file preferences to choose the application you want to use as the default for zipped files, by file extension.

[barbe]

I did uninstall the StuffIt application/program from the control panel. It did not give me any dialog boxes/prompts during the uninstall process.

What's next?

BTW - thanks for your help in this ... sorry I didn't provide all this info to begin with - things you never think of when typing a post LOL

[Marcia]

Here's a long way around, but it works for me.

Go to My Documents > Downloads

Navigate to a zipped file and right click on it. Select "Open With." A box will come up, and at the bottom it'll say Select Program to Open. Choose that option.

Click on the program you want to use for unzipping files. It'll be highlighted when you do. At the bottom of that dialog box there's a checkbox to "Always use selected program to open this kind of file." That's what you want to do.

See if that works for you and let us know.

[Samizdata]

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options > File Types

Assign the program you want to open any particular file extension.

While you are in there select the View tab.

Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types".

...

[Marcia]

>>Start > Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options > File Types

Thanks for the short version!

Found it under tools, and it just took all of 3 seconds to change which program opens css files.

[barbe]

Marcia,

Thank you so much for your help.
While I wasn't able to follow your above instructions because I didn't have an unzip program to choose from (and didn't know where Window's version was housed), I got to thinking about something.

So, I did a search on my computer for HIPS Email Attachment, which is what always comes up when you try to save a .zip from the internet or via email ..... ends up that that is a part of my CA Security Suite. I went into my CA panel and found the email attachments portion and it had, among other extensions, .zip as quarantined ..... hence the .efw.
Not that I would have known what to do with the stupid .efw LOL.

Dear lord! Why do they make things so picky and complicated?!?!?!
So, I un-quarantined .zip and re-tried to download the .zip for WordPress and BINGO!

Thanks for your help!
~ Barbara