Jeez I am a moron,
I went to unzip a folder and accidentally hit "open with" and now I chose the wrong program for zip files and have no idea how to turn them back into zip files with the original zip icon folder... now they appear as the icon of whatever program I changed them to and I am lost! I have an HP Media Center with windows Vista but I can't find te corect or the original program... HELP

Open a folder with zip files in it. Select one. Then, select tool, folder options, and click on the file types tab. Scroll to the bottom where you see ZIP. Select ZIP, click change, then it should let you select winzip. Make sure before you click OK, the checkbox, "always use the selected program to open this kind of file" is selected.

Hope this helps

My problem is that I've changed it to "open with" notepad... so I don't know how to get it back to being a zip file

Tell it to open with WINZIP

Where on the PC do I find that program? (ps thanks for the help stew... I'm lost!)

I got as far as folder options, but the onlt tabs are GENERAL, VIEW and SEARCH... I don't see types...

Right click on the .zip file, select open with > click on choose program > select winzip and tick always use this program...

Benn, thanks for the post...
Again I'm not sure where to find WinZip... its not listed as one of my programs... This Vista for windows has automatic self extraction and I don't think a Zip extracting software program like that is visible (at least not in ALL PROGRAMS) unless its under a sub category of another Windows folder. - Yeeesh - Vista has a whole diffeerent layout than the past 4 or 5 versions of windows and has even changed the names of so many common options (ex: Add/Remove Programs - is now - Programs and Features) that navagating around isn't as quick and easy as it used to be... THANKS AGAIN BENN - Let me know if you think of any other options... BMAC

OK another idea comeing from a different angle.

Select ANY file on your desktop.
Right click
Select Send To Compressed (zipped) Folder
You will then get a message about association of zip files.
Click YES and hopefully this shoul sort the problem.

Also if it helps... I'm trying to extract photoshop from a zip file - thus I wouldn't use any PROGRAM I would just "extract all" so I guess I just want my default zip icon back (ha ha) and Vista doesn't give me the option to "change icon" under PROPERTIES-ADVANCED like the other versions of Windows that I use at the club (work)
For what it's worth I have extracted and installed the program from the zip file, but I guess my ZIP icon is lost unless anyone has a clue of where or how to get it back. Thank you all for the input - this site is GREAT... I will do my best to give back as much as I can in the MUSIC, Lyrics, Title, and Song questions genre. BMAC

That weird, I don't recall Photoshop installing from a Zip file; usually the CDs have a builtin installer program. Perhaps you should return the program from the store you bought it and get a new box.

Curlyben, OK - just tried that with a picture, then a video, then a program from the desktop... right clicked - send to zip - and it just did that... (ha) with no message of association about zip files. It just made a zip for the desktop version of all 3. I don't know how to get the default zip icon back, BUT as long as the files work and run I suppose that's what's important eh? -Cheers mate for the help- BMAC

Karma, you're right they do.. I am using a burned copy of the program from a friend to do some artwork needed ASAP for him, the program is around $600 and up! Which is more than I'll make doing the artwork - however I will buy the new Photoshop that is out now for my own home PC (my early B-day gift to myself) and I was able to exttract this zip version as well, I just lost my zip icon

I suspect you are using Win XP. XP has built in support for ZIP files. The problem is, since I use WinZip, I don't know what the association for native ZIP support should be.

I suggest you try using System Restore to go back to an earlier restore point before you goofed. If that doesn't work, try downloading a FREEWARE zip utility and associating them with that.

P.S. We do not support piracy or copyright infringement here. Please be careful about that