Problem with 7-Zip not working . . .

weh · 26 Jun 2009

Okay, here's a strange one: I installed 7-Zip (64-bit) on my machine (GA-EX58-UD5, Ci7-920, 12GB, Win.7.7232.x64) from the main administrator account. I set the executables (all 3 of them) to be run as administrator for ALL users. I set the file associations. It works perfectly within the main administrator account -- ONLY!

When I log into my own account (with full administrator privileges), files whose extensions I associated with 7-Zip are properly icon'd. I can right-click and get the context menu.

But nothing works. No decompression. Nada. Zip. (Forgive the pun.)

Anyone got any ideas?

Mark · 26 Jun 2009

Reinstall it on your standard account.

weh · 26 Jun 2009

I tried that. Doesn't work. If I return to the administrator account and UNinstall, I can then install on my own account. And it works. But then it doesn't work on other accounts. I'm baffled.

Mark · 26 Jun 2009

Very strange, I just tried it on my guest account and it worked fine, using build 7232 x64

swarfega · 26 Jun 2009

Log into administrator account and uninstall 7-zip.
Change to your account and reinstall the program.

Its a permissions issue because you as a user cannot view or use parts of the administrator install.

weh · 26 Jun 2009

I finally backed up several restore points ago, losing only a half a dozen things having been installed more recently, and started fresh. Now all appears to be well. I still don't understand what was wrong. I don't think I did anything differently -- just did it all again. Go figure.

screwballl · 26 Jun 2009

tried it via 32bit 7100 install without a problem

weh · 26 Jun 2009

I had installed it on previous versions of Win.7 with no problems, either. I don't know what happened. I had just downloaded the newest version of 7-Zip and installed it and all h-e-double-l broke loose.

I usually install pretty much everything in the "real" administrator account and then work from my regular user account. (I've got a second admin account as a back door, a total of 5 user accounts, and the guest account.)

Anyway, I retraced my steps to the restore point from just before I installed 7-Zip and then tried it again. Worked perfectly.

So, case closed with no explanation of why it went wrong.

leogets · 21 Dec 2009

I have not as yet checked into win7 registry but for WinXP I didn't have the 7-Zip context menu items displayed but on another XP system they were there... Humm... Difference was on one computer I had the 'Send To" context menu item displayed but on the other NO. I went into the registry (I use Registrar Registry Manager by the way.. Its a very useful tool.) I did a search for Send To... I found:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Send To
I made a backup of the ContextMenuHandlers and the deleted the Send To. Because this was a change to the local machine, I rebooted and Vola,,, 7-Zip Context Menue items appeared. So Now if I selected a few files then right-click and select 7-zip I can select from the context menue to add to "xxx".zip or .7z or to have them compressed and emailed.

Perhaps others that are experience this missing 7-zip context menu items should first see if they have the Send To context menues then check the registry, back it up before making changes.

Another person figured out the problem using an explorer shell extension utility program called Fast Explorer 2008, which allows one to view all the active and inactive context menu handlers for all explorer shell extensions, and to selectively enable/disable individual context menu handlers.

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