How to restore Windows default Zip file functionality?

Try this article from MSDN: How to restore the native Zip file integration in Windows. You only have to do this from an elevated (run as administrator) command prompt:

cmd /c assoc .zip=CompressedFolder

The first post is the long way to perform this three step process... Here is a simple and easy way to change the file association back to Windows Explorer:

1. Locate the file

2. Right click the file

3. Click properties

4. Locate the "open with" button and click it

5. Browse to the windows explorer to "c:\windows\explorer" and highlight the explorer file

6. Check use as default-apply-ok

I had the same problem and this worked for me:

• Click the Windows Orb (Start) > All Programs > Accessories and right-click Command Prompt, then "Run as Administrator".
• Type assoc .zip=CompressedFolder and press Enter.
• You may have to restart the computer.

The best way is to try using the Open With... context menu to set Explorer to be the default file handler.

However, if that does not work you can try the following to force Explorer to handle ZIP file. (Source for this info)

Make a .reg file with the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zip]
"PerceivedType"="compressed"
"Content Type"="application/x-zip-compressed"
@="CompressedFolder"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zip\CompressedFolder]

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.zip\UserChoice]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zip\CompressedFolder\ShellNew]
"Data"=hex:50,4b,05,06,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"ItemName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,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,00,2c,00,\
2d,00,31,00,30,00,31,00,39,00,34,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zip\OpenWithProgids]
"CompressedFolder"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zip\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder]
@="Compressed (zipped) Folder"
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,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,\
00,2c,00,2d,00,31,00,30,00,31,00,39,00,35,00,00,00

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

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\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\CompressedFolder\shell]
@="none"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\shell\find]
"SuppressionPolicy"=dword:00000080

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\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\CompressedFolder\shell\find\ddeexec]
@="[FindFolder(\"%l\", %I)]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\shell\find\ddeexec\application]
@="Folders"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\shell\find\ddeexec\topic]
@="AppProperties"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\shell\Open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\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\CompressedFolder\ShellEx]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\{b8cdcb65-b1bf-4b42-9428-1dfdb7ee92af}]
@="Compressed (zipped) Folder Menu"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CompressedFolder\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{ed9d80b9-d157-457b-9192-0e7280313bf0}"

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

Then, in an admin command prompt type:

regsvr32 zipfldr.dll

One other suggestion I have seen is to simply go into the Default Programs editor in Control Panel and removing the association you currently have. However, this was for XP and I'm not sure that it will work for Vista. However, you may want to try this before playing around the registry.