[TC 11.02rc1] ZipTestWarnExplorer=1 does not work for lzma compressed zip files.

[petermad]

25.09.23 Added: wincmd.ini [Packer] ZipTestWarnExplorer=0 turns off warning when testing archives that a file can't be unpacked by Windows Explorer (32/64)

If I set ZipTestWarnExplorer=1 and test this file: https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/System32bad.zip with Alt+Shift+F9 I get a warning that it can not be unpacked in Explorer. The file is packed with TC 11.01's libdeflate64.dll (compression 9), so the warning is expected

If I use:

Code: Select all

[Packer]
ZipTestWarnExplorer=1
LzmaAllowed=1
InternalZipRate=10

and pack the same files with LZMA (compression 10) https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/System32lzma.zip I don't get any warning that Windows Explorer will not be able to unpack the file, when I test the file with Alt+Shift+F9 - but Explorer can not unpack it.

This file: https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/System32good.zip is packed with TC 11.02's libdeflate64.dll (compression 9 ) - It tests OK with Alt+Shift+F9 and can be unpacked by Windows Explorer, as expected.

[ghisler(Author)]

The warning is only about files packed with standard DEFLATE method where the Explorer has a bug, so it cannot unpack certain files although they are perfectly valid and it actually should be able to unpack them.

Using a different compression method is something completely different: LZMA is NOT part of the initial ZIP standard, as well as BZIP2 and many other compression methods. The Explorer doesn't claim to support these methods, so it's normal that it can't handle such files. TC will not warn you when you use one of these methods.

[AntonyD]

LZMA is NOT part of the initial ZIP standard

True! BUT! In the Total settings, you allowed setting the value 10 (even through an additional parameter in the ini file) for the ZIP archiving section!!! This means for the majority of people who turned this on for themselves, and then began to send these zip.files to other people who will open these archives only through Windows Explorer - THEN there will be a lot of logic in warning this majority about what they are creating potentially unopenable files!

[ghisler(Author)]

You can only set the value of 10 by adding an option to the wincmd.ini. There is a warning that it needs a special unpacker:

(not recommended, needs WinZip >=12 to unpack)

[AntonyD]

2ghisler(Author)

You can only set the value of 10 by adding an option to the wincmd.ini.

i ALREADY pointed out this moment in my post:

(even through an additional parameter in the ini file)

but all of this is not changing the final output in logic that for majority of people who used that case
in their ordinary, routine and often very formulaic work that here:

will be a lot of logic in warning this majority about what they are creating potentially unopenable files!

Warning which will be visible! But not is only existing in a form of the notes in the help file.
Remember - exactly for that they turned ON ZipTestWarnExplorer=1!!!

[petermad]

The warning is only about files packed with standard DEFLATE method where the Explorer has a bug, so it cannot unpack certain files although they are perfectly valid and it actually should be able to unpack them.

Using a different compression method is something completely different: LZMA is NOT part of the initial ZIP standard, as well as BZIP2 and many other compression methods. The Explorer doesn't claim to support these methods, so it's normal that it can't handle such files. TC will not warn you when you use one of these methods.

Then I recommend to change the History from:

25.09.23 Added: wincmd.ini [Packer] ZipTestWarnExplorer=0 turns off warning when testing archives that a file can't be unpacked by Windows Explorer (32/64)

to:

25.09.23 Added: wincmd.ini [Packer] ZipTestWarnExplorer=0 turns off warning when testing archives that a file can't be unpacked by Windows Explorer due to a bug in Explorer when standard DEFLATE method had been used packing the archive(32/64)

And maybe change the Help from:

ZipTestWarnExplorer=1 When testing archives, warn if the archive cannot be unpacked with Windows 7..11 Explorer (due to a bug in Explorer)

to:

ZipTestWarnExplorer=1 When testing archives, warn if the archive cannot be unpacked with Windows 7..11 Explorer (due to a bug in Explorer with archives packed with the DEFLATE method)

Or even better - extend the test to also test for LZMA-packed archives that cannot be opened in Explorer. When you test the archive, you might not remember that you used LZMA or you don't know it because you did not pack the archive yourself.

[ghisler(Author)]

Then I recommend to change the History from:

And maybe change the Help from:

Agreed.

extend the test to also test for LZMA-packed archives

Sorry, I will not do that, because then the user will receive a ton of false errors for all his archives when he uses LZMA as a default.

[AntonyD]

Sorry, I will not do that, because then the user will receive a ton of false errors

A completely incomprehensible answer.
1) The user HIMSELF enables a special option for checking archives!
The ESSENCE of which is precisely a warning about the REAL problem of the impossibility
of unpacking an LZMA archive using Windows Explorer.
2) The user HIMSELF enables the LZMA packaging option, agreeing that this may cause
any subsequent problems with them in Windows.
3) Unpacking problems cannot in any way be accompanied by "a ton of false errors".
The problem is either detected and a warning message is generated about it, or there is no problem.

[ghisler(Author)]

1) No, this option is enabled by default.

[AntonyD]

1) No, this option is enabled by default.

He did not disable it - so he agreed with that case. We can easily treat it as if he did it/enabled himself.
2 + 3 - are still valuable

[white]

It seems clear to me that the specific warning was added to version 11.02 because the built-in packer of version 11.00 and 11.01 was no longer completely compatible with Windows unpacking capabilities. I understand that Mr. Ghisler wants to warn people when a zip file created with version 11.00 and 11.01 is not compatible in this way.

Other warnings may be useful, but I feel these are suggestions for additional improvements. The ZipTestWarnExplorer setting could be expanded to include more options and the possible error messages could be expanded too.

The current error message (quoted below) could be improved too.

Explorer:
Pack method not supported, file <filename> cannot be unpacked!

I think this (quite old) error message is not very clear. "Explorer:" seems to be hardcoded while this name nowadays has a local language equivalent. Furthermore many people don't know what Explorer is, because nowadays it is generally not started by clicking a shortcut named "Explorer" but for example by clicking a shortcut named "Documents". This makes it unclear that "cannot be unpacked!" refers to the inability to unpack using Windows' built-in functionality.

[ghisler(Author)]

Sorry but I don't have any plans to change this. Mode 10 has been supported as an option for years, and I never got any complaints that it couldn't be unpacked with Explorer because it's not expected to work.

[petermad]

The history and help in TC 11.02rc2 has been updatede like suggested here: https://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?p=442327#p442327

Considered fixed in TC 11.02rc2

Moderator message from: petermad » 2023-10-11, 23:05 UTC

Moved to "TC fixed bugs" from "TC11.x bug reports (English)"