I'm evaluating DOpus for a possible dual license. I decided to install it first on an old PII system I use as a backup and print server. That system runs under 98SE and has ZipMagic and ExplorerPlus installed. I uninstalled both of these and installed DOpus 8, making it the system default zip handler. I did not have it replace Windows Explorer or take over FTP from IE. DOpus is impressive, but I cannot make sense of how file associations are behaving in the wake of installing it. I've stepped through this three times now, each time reverting to a disk image of the original state. Once ZipMagic and ExplorerPlus have been removed, the system behaves as expected: no zip association. But, once DOpus has been installed, double-clicking a zip file from Windows Explorer produces a file download dialog box! What I was hoping to find was the same or better integration as with ExplorerPlus. DOpus handles the zip files just fine, and everything appears proper in the file associations. I was sure I'd find some mention of this behavior here, but I haven't. Thoughts?
DOpus is not designed to integrate with Explorer Plus, it is designed to integrate with and, to the greatest extent possible, replace Windows Explorer. Explorer Plus is also trying to Replace Windows Explorer. It sounds like a natural conflict waiting to happen to me. Explorer Plus many not be uninstalling cleanly.
It's been my experience on Windows XP that DOpus uninstalls very cleanly.
This is the only suggestion I can offer, since you seem to have a system image that you can restore:
Uninstall your other two applications first. Then install DOpus, but have it take over everything: Zip, FTP, Windows Explorer. See if the same behavior persists. This might enable DOpus to reclaim any straggling settings and give clear direction to Windows as to what should happen when you click on a zip file.
I would post your results here, but I think you should also log a call on the official support site.
NOTE: IE gets dumb when you take away the default FTP, it thinks it also is no longer the default browser. Expect IE to complain about not being the default browser when you do this. Just disable the IE check in the resulting dialog. It's more an IE issue than a DOpus one.
I would caution against evaluating Opus in the environment in which you are trying to install it. You have an old PC, a very out-dated operating system (that is notorious for not uninstalling applications cleanly), and you have previously installed other Windows Explorer replacements. It would be more fair to evaluate it on a system that never had any other explorer replacements installed on it in the first place.
When you specify Opus to be the default zip handler for the system, what I believe 'SHOULD' happen is that the registry entry in HKCR for .zip files gets updated with a 'description' (deafult 'string' value) of OpusZip. For any standard file manager with 'explorer' type shell integration... this leads the calling file manager to the OpusZip registry key also under HKCR. Among the various keys underneath OpusZip should be a standard shell sub-key, which in turn should have a command subkey. That command key should contain the following:
"C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /dde
This along with the command keys accompanying ddeexec key and it's contents are what should be allowing an Opus window to pop up showing the zip contents even if you double-click on a zip file from Windows Exploder. I'm not sure what ExplorerPlus or ZipMagic uninstalling (cleanly or otherwise) could have done to impact this - as Opus should have gone in and set this stuff aright AFTER those programs were ousted. The 'download' dialog you mention sounds like part of Windows 'Open With' options where it will let you either 'select an application' or 'look for the appropriate program on the web'. Once Opus is installed and it's handling zip files - I wonder what the registry tracks mentioned above look like while things are hinky in Explorer... some of the linkage mentioned above must be broken somewhere.
Thanks for a helpful reply. I've reverted to my image checkpoint, but will try again when I get time and see if I can get the registry straightened out. My hope is to use the same file manager on both systems, but I can stick with ExplorerPlus on the old machine if I have to.
I'm glad to see how actively supported DOpus is. I began using PowerDesk in its first incarnation, and eventually switched to ExplorerPlus. I'm content with it, but it's languishing. I've had direct e-mail exchanges with Kronenberg over his failure to correct serious defects (the auto-refresh problem is the biggie.) He has effectively abandoned the product, but continues to sell it, as-is. He should, at the least, post a disclaimer to that effect.
Well, I've spent more time on this problem than I can afford, so I'm going to abandon my hopes of running DOpus on 98SE. Both ZipMagic and ExplorerPlus leave file associations behind. DOpus doesn't appear to register itself for the zip extension if something else is already registered. I've tried numerous variations on sequencing the uninstalls, then expunging all the extensions for compressed archives. Three different registry cleaners show the registry as being spic and span at this point (SystemSuite, Vuorio's PowerTools, and CCleaner). And WE behaves as expected, offering the option of associating the extension. Once I then install DOpus, the registry entries appear correct and DOpus seems to work just fine (including nested archives), but Windows Explorer is thrown into a File Download loop as soon as a zip file is double-clicked. DOpus appears to have its nose in the game, because I can effect what happens by toggling its "check after download" option on and off. It's a furious loop, though, and unkillable. The only resort is to shut down. I'm sure if I had more time to spend on the problem, I'd get things untangled, but no can do. I'll leave well enough alone one my old machine.
Well I can understand not wanting to go in circles, but I don't think you have to be so hard on yourself. If you could, simply zip and upload exported copies of the .zip and OpusZip registry keys from underneath HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. The answer should be in there somewhere... I'll gladly take a look and let you know if there's something 'not right' left in there that seems to be causing the problem. If not, then hey... what's the harm?