PC Magazine -- April 9, 1996

Automate Access to PKUNZIP in Windows 95

In Windows 3.1, I was able to automate unzipping of files by adding the line

    ZIP=C:\UTIL\PKUNZIP.EXE ^.ZIP

to the [Extensions] section of my WIN.INI file. But this doesn't work with Windows 95. Is there any way I can automate unzipping in Windows 95?

    J. I. Mason, Yucca Valley, California.

PC MAGAZINE: As is often the case, an .INI file-based technique in Windows 3.1 becomes a Registry-based technique in Windows 95. To associate the .ZIP extension with PKUNZIP requires a moderately complex entry in the Registry. Windows 95 comes with a Registry editor program named REGEDIT, but for adding keys it's safer to use a .REG file like the one shown in Figure 1. Edit this file so the PKUNZIP directory matches the one on your system, then save the file. Note that you must use double backslashes (\\) between the directories in the full path. Now launch the .REG file by double-clicking on it or by using the START command at a command prompt. The new keys will be automatically added to the Registry. From now on, when you double-click a .ZIP file, it will be unzipped automatically.

Do note that two recent PC Magazine utilities automate the use of .ZIP files in a more modern fashion. When ZipView (December 19, 1995) is installed, the properties sheet for .ZIP files has a Contents page that lists the .ZIP file's contents and allows you to extract them. When ZipDrop (January 23, 1996) is installed, .ZIP files gain the ability to accept files via drag-and-drop--the dropped files are automatically moved into the .ZIP archive.

--Neil J. Rubenking

FIGURE: Launch this file in Windows 95 to associate .ZIP files with PKUNZIP. Don't forget to edit it first to reference the actual location of PKUNZIP on your system.

    REGEDIT4

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ArchiveFile\Shell\Open\Command]
    @="\"D:\\UTILNBAT\\PKUNZIP\" \"%1\""

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zip]
    @="ArchiveFile"