Here's how to disable zip folders in Windows Vista

[darkwish]

Just like Windows XP, Vista has a feature called zip folders which shows each zip & cab file as a folder in explorer. Now some people may like this feature and some may not. I personally hate it, so the first thing I tried to do was disable zip/cab folders in Vista like they way you do it in XP, and it doesn't work.

For Vista, you'll have to edit the registry and remove these keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}

If you aren't comfortable manually editing the registry. Then just copy and past this into notepad and save as DisableZip.reg and run it. Will take effect after you reboot.

DisableZip.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}]

And if you ever wanted to undo it:

EnableZip.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}]
@="CompressedFolder"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,7a,00,69,00,\
  70,00,66,00,6c,00,64,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}\Implemented Categories]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}\Implemented Categories\{00021490-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
@=hex(0):

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}\InProcServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,7a,00,69,00,\
  70,00,66,00,6c,00,64,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}\ProgID]
@="CompressedFolder"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E88DCCE0-B7B3-11d1-A9F0-00AA0060FA31}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:200001a0
"UseDropHandler"=""


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}]
@="Cabinet File"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\CLSID]
@="{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\DefaultIcon]
@="cabview.dll,0"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Implemented Categories]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Implemented Categories\{00021490-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\InProcServer32]
@="cabview.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell]
@="none"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell\find]
"SuppressionPolicy"=dword:00000080

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell\find\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
  65,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell\find\ddeexec]
@="[FindFolder(\"%l\", %I)]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell\find\ddeexec\application]
@="Folders"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell\find\ddeexec\topic]
@="AppProperties"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell\Open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\Shell\Open\Command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
  65,00,20,00,2f,00,69,00,64,00,6c,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,2c,00,25,00,49,00,2c,\
  00,25,00,4c,00,00,00
"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:680001a0

[CrowdAds]

[Hules]

Hi,

I installed WinRAR and accidently selected .zip to be associated with the program and now can't change it back. I try deselecting the option, uninstalling the program, and no joy.

I'm a simple user and much prefer the inbuilt .zip handling but your registry patch doesn't seem to work for this situation.

Can I manually edit the file associate and the command it uses to restore this functionality that so many hate?

[darkwish]

Is this XP or Vista?

[Hules]

Sorry, it's Vista Home Premium.

[darkwish]

Not too sure, since I already changed mine to be associated with 7-zip.

Try this, it's from XP, but may work:
Windows XP File Assocation Fixes

[Hules]

Thanks! As good as new!

All functionality is restored, although it opens zip file folders in a new explorer window now, but I can't remember if that's normal or not.

Thanks again,

[BenjyKid]

Thank you very much!
I had the problem that Vista Explorer kept showing the magnifying glass when opening some folders instead of displaying the subfolders in the folder pane. Disabling zip folders fixed this.