Copyright: Copyright ® 1992-1994 NewVision


Contents


Introduction
Introduction to ZipShell Pro

    ZipShell Pro is a program for the Microsoft Windows environment which allows the user to easily access the power of data compression technology without spending the large amounts of time required to become proficient in the use of various compression/decompression programs (i.e., archivers).  Its internal archiving routines enable many operations (zipping, unzipping, and unarjing) to be carried out within Windows, saving the user both the time and inconvenience of shelling to DOS to use another program.

     This program acts as a command center for creating, modifying and extracting archives in 4 major formats:  ARC, ARJ, LZH, and ZIP.  Using ZipShell Pro, you may treat these different archives in the same way; ZipShell Pro takes care of their differences automatically.  There is no need to learn a different command set for each type of archive.

     ZipShell Pro allows the user to perform more complex tasks, such as archive comment manipulation, password encryption, and self-extracting archive creation, with a few keystrokes or mouse-clicks.  Simple tasks, such as compressing or extracting files, often require as few as 1 or 2 keystrokes or mouse-clicks.

     NewVision is constantly updating ZipShell Pro to reflect new archiver versions and is continually being fine-tuned in terms of speed and performance, making it a powerful tool for archive management.

     ZipShell Pro is not a free program; rather, it is Shareware. After evaluating ZipShell Pro for 30 days, you are obligated to either register it or discontinue using it.

See Also:

Installation Instructions

De-Installation

Registering ZipShell Pro

System Requirements


Installation Instructions

To install ZipShell Pro, execute the Windows self-extracting archive that ZipShell Pro is distributed in.  This is a compressed format; thus the files may not be installed manually.  When asked to enter the "Extraction Path", enter a suitable directory on your hard drive.  If the specified directory does not exist, it will be created, and all the ZipShell Pro files will be copied there.

After all the required files are copied to your hard drive, you will be asked to enter your registration information.  If you are evaluating a shareware version of ZipShell Pro, just press the "Skip" button.  If you are installing a registered version, enter your name, company and serial number in the spaces provided.  The serial number is located on the disk label of the ZipShell Pro disk.

ZipShell Pro is an "ini-friendly" program and does not write information to either the WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI files, but rather creates its own ZIPSHELL.INI file.

By default, ZipShell Pro supports the use of PKZIP/PKUNZIP version 2.04x.  If you are using PKZIP/PKUNZIP version 1.10, it is ESSENTIAL you follow these instructions:  Select the Options command from ZipShell Pro's Setup menu, then press F5 (or click on the Archivers picture) to go to the archivers section.  Then, select the option button labelled "1.10" next in the PKZIP & PKUNZIP section at the upper-right part of the screen.  Press the OK button, and this information will be saved to disk, and ZipShell Pro will work properly with the software you have.


De Installation
De-Installation

If you later decide you wish to uninstall ZipShell Pro, there are a number of files ZipShell Pro copies to your hard drive that reside in locations other than your ZipShell directory.  You may safely delete these files if you no longer wish to use ZipShell Pro.  The following files are located in your /windows directory:

•	ZIP001.PIF

•	ZIP002.PIF

•	ARC002.PIF

•	ARJ001.PIF

•	LZH001.PIF

•	ZIPSHELL.INI

In addition, the following shared files are installed to your /windows/system directory.  You may delete them only if you are sure they are not being used by other programs.

•	VBRUN300.DLL

•	THREED.VBX

•	TOOLBUTN.VBX


proc_register
Registering ZipShell Pro

ZipShell Pro is not free; rather, it is Shareware.  You are granted limited period of 30 days in which to use the program for evaluation purposes.  If you continue to use the program after the 30-day evaluation period has expired, you must register it.

When you register the program, NewVision will send you a diskette with the latest version of the program.  You will be provided your own unique serial number which you can use when installing the program so that the program does not show the "About" window on startup.  Also, you will be eligible for discounts on future versions of the program and will be notified of major upgrades.

To view and/or print a registration form, select the "Order Form" command from ZipShell Pro's "Help" menu.  Fill this form out, and mail it along with a check or money order to NewVision, and you will receive your registered copy of the lastest version of ZipShell Pro in 2 to 3 weeks.

CompuServe Members

If you have an account on CompuServe, you may register ZipShell Pro on CompuServe and have the registration fee charged to your CompuServe account.  To do so, type GO SWREG and register program with ID 1551.  After you do so, NewVision is notified of your order and will promptly ship you a registered copy of the latest version of ZipShell Pro.


System Requirements

To run ZipShell Pro, your system must meet or exceed the following minimum requirements.

•	80286 or higher processor (80386 or higher needed for built-in compression and extraction)

•	2 Megs RAM

•	Windows 3.1 or later

In addition, you must also have copies of any of the DOS-based archivers you wish ZipShell Pro to utilize, although ZipShell Pro can perform many functions without the presence of any other archiver.


menus
Menu and Toolbar Commands

Below is a list of all the commands available from ZipShell Pro's menus.  Select a command to see a description of its function and purpose.

File Menu

New Archive

Open/New Window...

Open/Current Window...

Close Archive

Rename Archive...

Delete Archive...

Preferences...

Action Menu

Test Archive Integrity

Display Extended Info

Fix Corrupted ZIP Archive

Join ARJ Archives

Convert...

Make EXE...

Make WinSFX

Sort Menu

The Sort Menu allows you to sort the contents of the main display according to various criteria.  When an archive is first opened, it is unsorted:  the files appear in the order in which they appear inside the archive.  You can choose to sort them by choosing one of the commands under the Sort Menu.

Window Menu

The Window Menu allows you to control the positions of the windows of ZipShell Pro's MDI Interface.  You can use the commands of this menu to arrange all displayed windows or to bring any open window to the top.

Help Menu

Use the commands in the Help Menu to display various information about different aspects of ZipShell Pro.  The "Order Form" command will open up the file ZSORDER.TXT in Notepad, allowing you to view and/or print the file.  The "About" command will display ZipShell Pro's About window, displaying various useful information, such as program version and free Windows memory and resources.

ZipShell Toolbar


file_new
File:  “New Archive” Command

Selecting this command from the "File" menu creates a new, untitled archive window.  You may then add files to this new, empty archive in order to create a new archive.

See Also:

Adding files to an archive

Creating a new archive


adding_files
Adding Files to an Archive

There are two ways to add files to an archive:  1) drag and drop, and 2) the "Add Files" window.  Which way you choose to add files to an archive is mostly a matter of personal preference.

Drag and Drop

A simple way to add files to an archive is using drag and drop.  Simply open any file manager you like to use that supports drag and drop (such as the ones that come with Windows, Norton Desktop, or PC Tools), and select the files and/or directories you wish to add.  Then drag them and drop them somewhere on ZipShell Pro's main window (or icon, if the program is minimized).

At this point, if you have dropped the files onto an empty, untitled archive window, you will be asked for the name and location of the new archive.  Then, whether you are creating a new archive or adding files to an existing one, the "Add Files" window will be displayed (with the files that you dropped onto ZipShell Pro showing up in the "Files to be added" list) allowing you to select compression options or to continue the compression process.

The “Add Files to Archive” Window

Another way to select files to add to an archive is via the "Add Files" window.  From ZipShell Pro's main toolbar, press the "Add" button.  This will display the "Add Files" window.  If you are adding files to an empty, untitled archive, you will be asked for the name and location of the new archive at this point.

Next, you can use the drive, directory and file lists of the "Add Files" window to select files that you wish to add to the archive.  From there, you can choose to modify compression options or continue the compression process.

See Also:

“Add Files to Archive” Window

Complete List of Compression Options

Creating a New Archive


Add Files 1
“Add Files To Archive” Window

After pressing the "Add" button on ZipShell Pro's iconbar, the "Add Files To Archive" Window is displayed.

You can navigate through the drives and directories on your hard drive looking for files you wish to add to an archive.  To select a file to add, either double-click on its filename in the list of files, or select the file and press the "Add File(s)" button.  The file or files you selected will appear in the list on the right, indicating that it will be added to the archive.

If you wish to add an entire directory to an archive, double-click on the directory name in the list of directories and press the "Add Directory" button.  The name of the directory will appear in the list on the right.

When you have selected all the files and directories you wish to add to the archive, you may do one of two things:  1) accept ZipShell Pro's default compression options and press the "Add" button to begin compression immediately, or 2) press the "Next >>" button to display ZipShell Pro's compression options.

See Also:

Complete List of Compression Options


Add Files 2
Complete List of Compression Options

Below is a list of all the compression options available in ZipShell Pro.  Click on an option to see its description.  During compression, only those options which are applicable for the type of archive being used will be enabled.

 Span multiple floppies

 Include pathnames

 Use authenticity verification

 Keep a .BAK of ARJ archive

 Exclude pathnames

 Move files to archive

 Recurse subdirectories

 Scramble with password

 Add volume label

 Use working drive

 Compression amount

 ZIP format

See Also

“Add Files To Archive” Window


addopt_span
ZipShell Pro will use PKZIP.EXE to compress the archive onto multiple floppy diskettes.  During compression, the PKZIP.EXE window will be displayed at normal size so that you can see when PKZIP.EXE requests a new diskette.

Available only for new ZIP archives created on drive A: or B:.


addopt_incpaths
As ZipShell Pro compresses files into an archive, it will store path information with the files.

Available for ZIP archives.


addopt_auth
ZipShell Pro will use PKZIP.EXE to compress the archive using the authenticity verification (-!) switch.  This will help prevent tampering with the archive.  Only registered users of PKZIP.EXE have the ability to use this feature.

Available for ZIP archives.


addopt_bak
If you are modifying an existing ARJ archive, a backup of the archive (with a .BAK extension) will be made before the archive is modified.

Available for ARJ archives.


addopt_exc
During compression of an ARJ archive, ARJ.EXE will not include path information with the archive.  If this option is left unchecked, ARJ.EXE by default will include path information inside the archive.

Available for ARJ archives.


addopt_move
After successful compression, the files that have been compressed into the archive will be deleted from their source directories.  If an error occurs during compression, no files will be deleted.

Available for all archive types.


addopt_recurse
Causes ZipShell Pro to include the subdirectories of all specified directories and add those to the archive as well.  In order for this option to be effective, you must specify at least one directory to add to the archive, instead of simply specifying individual files.

Available for ZIP archives.


addopt_scram
PKZIP.EXE or ARJ.EXE will compress the selected files and encrypt them with the specified password.  In order for these files to be successfully extracted at a later time, the same password must be supplied during the extraction process.  If you forget the password used to encrypt the archive, you will not be able to access any of the encrypted files.

Available for ARJ and ZIP archives.


addopt_volume
PKZIP.EXE or ARJ.EXE will store inside the archive the volume label of the specified drive.  This volume label can later be extracted, causing the volume label of the target drive to be renamed.

Available for ARJ and ZIP archives.


addopt_work
During the compression process, all temp files will be written to the specified drive.  This option is especially useful for modifying archives on floppy diskettes, since often there will not be enough room on the floppy to store the necessary temporary files.

Available for ARJ and ZIP archives.


addopt_comp
Specifies the amount of compression you want used when compressing the files.  The range is from none (in which case the files will be stored instead of compressed) to maximum (which takes the most time but delivers the smallest archives).

Available for ARJ and ZIP 2.04 archives.


addopt_zip
Specifies which ZIP format you want to use when compressing a ZIP archive.  It is suggested that you use 2.04, since that format delivers better compression ratios and is compatible with ZipShell Pro's built-in compression routines.  If you select 1.10, ZipShell Pro will use PKZIP.EXE v1.10 to compress the archive.

Available for ZIP archives.


creating_new
Creating a New Archive

In order to create a new archive, you must have an empty, untitled archive window.  (Use the "New Archive" command from the "File" menu to make a new, untitled window if you don't have one already, or choose the "Close Archive" window from the "File" menu to make the current window an empty, untitled one.)

Then it is simply a matter of adding files to the empty archive in the same way that you would add files to an existing archive.  The sole exception is that before you are allowed to compress any files, you will be asked for the name and location of the new archive.

See Also:

Adding Files to an Archive

File:  “Close Archive” Command

File:  “New Archive” Command


file_close
File:  “Close Archive” Command

Selecting this command from the "File" menu closes the archive in the current window and returns the window to its initial state:  empty and untitled.  From this point, you may create a new archive by adding files to the empty archive or open and display another archive in this window.

It is not necessary to close an archive before opening another into the same window, or before quitting ZipShell Pro.

See Also:

Adding files to an archive

Creating a new archive

Opening and viewing an archive


proc_open
Opening and Viewing an Archive

Before performing any operation on an archive, such as extracting, converting, or adding files to it, it is necessary to open it and have its contents displayed.

You may either choose to open the archive in the current archive window, in which case it will replace the the archive already there, if any, or you may open the archive into a new window.   To open the archive in the current window, select the "Open/Current Window..." command from the "File" menu.  To open the archive in a new window, select the "Open/New Window..." command from the "File" menu.

After specifying the archive you wish to open, ZipShell Pro will scan the archive, determine its format, and display its contents on the screen.

Using Drag-and-Drop to Open an Archive

Another way to open an archive is to drag it from any file manager that supports drag and drop operations and drop it on the ZipShell Pro window (or icon, if the program is minimized).  As long as the archive has a .ZIP, .ARJ, .ARC, or .LZH extension, ZipShell Pro will open the archive and display it in the current archive window.

If you specify more than one file, or the file you specify does not have an archive extension, ZipShell Pro assumes that you are trying to add the dropped files to the current archive.

See Also:

Adding Files to an Archive


file_opennew
File:  “Open/New Window” Command

Selecting this command from the "File" menu will allow you to open an archive in a new window in order to display its contents.   If you wish to open the archive in the current window instead, choose the "Open/Current Window" command.


file_opencurrent
File:  “Open/Current Window” Command

Selecting this command from the "File" menu will allow the user to open an archive in order to display its contents.  The archive will be opened up in the current window, replacing any archive that is already there.  If you wish to open the archive in a new window instead, use the "Open/New Window" command.


file_rename
File:  “Rename Archive” Command

Selecting this command from the "File" menu allows you to rename the current archive.  This command only allows you to change a file's name, it does not allow you to change its location.


file_pref
File:  “Preferences” Command

Selecting this command causes ZipShell Pro to display its Options dialog, allowing you to select options for the following categories:  General Options, Display Options, Archivers, and Paths.


action_test
Action:  “Test Archive Integrity” Command

Selecting this command from the "Action" menu will cause ZipShell Pro to check the current archive for errors.  To do this, ZipShell Pro extracts the entire file to memory, checking for CRC errors and archive structural errors.  If the archive to be tested is large, this process may take a while.

Available for ARJ and ZIP archives.


action_display
Action:  “Display Extended Info” Command

Selecting this command from the "Action" menu causes ZipShell Pro to open a new window and display the contents of the archive, listing more information for each file than is available in ZipShell Pro's normal display.  In particular, the file's creation time, CRC, and path (if any) are displayed along with the other information.

Available for ARJ and ZIP archives.


action_fix
Action:  “Fix Corrupted ZIP Archive” Command

Selecting this command from the "Action" menu will cause ZipShell Pro to launch the DOS program PKZIPFIX.EXE to attempt to reconstruct a corrupted ZIP archive.  PKZIPFIX.EXE is a program that comes with both versions of PKZIP and PKUNZIP.  If ZipShell Pro cannot find it, it will ask you for its location.

PKZIPFIX attempts to recover as much information as possible from corrupted ZIP archives.  It will create a new archive, called PKFIXED.ZIP, containing as many files as were recovered.  When PKZIPFIX is finished, ZipShell Pro will open up the PKFIXED.ZIP archive for you to view.

PKZIPFIX cannot always completely recover archives that have been corrupted, and can do nothing about CRC errors.

Available for ZIP archives.


action_join
Action:  “Join ARJ Archives” Command

Selecting this command from the "Action" menu allows you to join two ARJ archives together to create a third one.  First you will be prompted for an archive to join the current ARJ archive with:  this can be any ARJ archive other than the current one.  Second, you will be asked for a new filename for the resultant archive which will contain all the files of the first and second archives.

Available for ARJ archives.


action_convert
Action:  “Convert” Command

Selecting this command will bring up the "Convert Archive" window, allowing you to convert an archive between types (i.e. ZIP -> ARJ), between versions (i.e. ZIP 1.10 -> ZIP 2.04), or between formats (i.e. ZIP SFX -> Normal ZIP).

To convert the current archive, just select this command and then choose the destination format in the window provided.  All the rest is automatic.  When ZipShell Pro is finished converting the archive, the newly created archive will be opened and viewed.

Archives may be converted to ZIP 2.04, ZIP 1.10, ARJ or LZH formats.  Conversion to ARC format is not supported; however, you may convert an ARC archive to any of the other types.

Special operations are possible when the source and destination type are the same.  For example, you could "convert" a ZIP archive to a ZIP archive in order to get rid of encryption (if you know the password) or to convert a self-extracting archive to a normal one.


action_exe
Action:  “Make EXE...” Command

Selecting this command allows you to create a DOS, self-extracting archive from the current ARJ, ZIP or LZH archive.  The resulting archive will have an EXE extension and will self-extract itself under DOS on any computer; they do not need any other program to be extracted.


action_winsfx
Action:  “Make WinSFX” Command

Selecting this command allows you to convert a ZIP archive to a Windows-based self-extracting archive.  These archives have an EXE extension and can extract themselves under Windows without using ZipShell Pro, PKUNZIP.EXE, or any other program.

WinSFX archives support ZIP 2.04 format files only; if you attempt to create a WinSFX archive from a file that contains ZIP 1.10 files, you will be asked to approve a conversion to ZIP 2.04 format before the WinSFX archive is created.


how_tos
How-To For Common Procedures

Below is a list of common procedures you may wish to perform using ZipShell Pro.  Click on one for step-by-step instructions on how to perform it.

 Adding files to an archive

 Creating a new archive

 Deleting files from an archive

 Extracting files from an archive

 Opening and viewing an archive

 Using built-in compression and extraction

 Viewing files inside an archive


proc_delete
Deleting Files From an Archive

To delete files from an archive, you must first have opened it.  Then, select the files you wish to delete and press the Delete Button.  ZipShell Pro will ask you for confirmation and then will delete the files from the archive.

Be cautious when doing this, because files deleted in this manner from an archive are completely unrecoverable.

See Also:

Deleting an Archive

Opening and Viewing an Archive


file_delete
File:  “Delete Archive” Command

Selecting the "Delete Archive" command from the "File" menu allows you to delete the current archive.  Confirmation is requested before this command is executed.


proc_extract
Extracting Files From an Archive

Before you can extract files from an archive (or perform any other operations on it), you must first open the archive to view its contents.

Then to extract files, you have two options.  One is to use the QuikExtract button, which will extract all the file(s) you have selected from the archive into the Target Path using default extraction options.  If no file(s) have been selected, ZipShell Pro extracts all the files from the archive.

The second option is to use the Extract button to be up the Extraction Options window.  This allows you to specify files you want to extract and gives you the opportunity to view and modify extraction options before proceeding.

After you begin the extraction process, ZipShell Pro will extract the selected files and notify you of any errors that occur.

See Also:

Opening and Viewing an Archive

“Extraction Options” Window


Extraction Options 1
“Extraction Options” Window

After you press the "Extract" button on ZipShell Pro's iconbar, the Extraction Option window is displayed.  This window contains two lists:  files that will be extracted, and those that will not.  You may move files between the two lists by using the "Move" and "Move All" buttons.

After placing all the files in the appropriate lists depending on whether or not you want them extracted, you have two choices:  1)  you can accept the default options for extraction and press the "Extract" button to begin extraction immediately, or 2) you can press the "Next >>" button to display all of the options that you may use for extraction.

See Also:

Complete List of Extraction Options


Extraction Options 2
Complete List of Extraction Options

Below is a list of all the extraction options available in ZipShell Pro.  Click on an option for a full description.  During extraction, only those options which are applicable for the type of archive being extracted will be enabled.

 Overwrite existing files

 Extract volume label

 Recreate stored paths

 Recover broken files

 Unscramble with password

 After extraction, create Program Manager items...

 Target path

See Also:

“Extraction Options” Window


extopt_overwrite
If a file to be extracted already exists in the target directory, it will be deleted and the new file extracted in its place.  If this option is left unchecked, ZipShell Pro will ask you whether you want to overwrite files that already exist, if any.

Available for all archive types.


extopt_volume
Extracts a volume label stored in the archive to the target drive.  If no volume label exists in archive, this option has no effect.

Available for ZIP and ARJ archives.


extopt_paths
Recreates any directories stored inside the archive during extraction.  If no directories exist in the archive, this option has no effect.  If there are directories in the archive, and this option is left unchecked, all files will be extracted to the target directory, regardless of the directories stored inside the archive.

Available for ZIP archives.


extopt_recover
Causes ARJ.EXE to search carefully through an archive in order to extract archives that have been corrupted.  When this option is checked, you will receive an error after the extraction process is complete.  This is normal and does not indicate a problem.

Available for ARJ archives.


extopt_unscram
ZipShell Pro will extract archives that contain encrypted files with a password that you supply.  If the archive contains no encrypted files, checking this option will have no effect.  If you supply an incorrect password, you will receive an error.

Selecting this option will cause ZipShell Pro to use PKUNZIP.EXE or ARJ.EXE to extract the file, instead of its own built-in extraction routines.

Available for ZIP and ARJ archives.


extopt_progman
After extraction, ZipShell Pro will create a Program Manager group using the archive's name.  In this group, it will create an icon for each program that it extracted, as well as each data file that has an association in the [Extensions] section of your WIN.INI file.

This option is also compatible with Norton Desktop for Windows and PC Tools for Windows.

Available for all archive types.


extopt_target
Specifies the directory where the archive will be extracted to.  You may scroll down to select from the last 3 or 4 directories used for extraction, or press the "Browse" button to browse for a new location.


how_builtin
Using Built-In Extraction and Compression

ZipShell Pro comes with built-in routines to compress and extract ZIP files and to extract ARJ files.  Using these routines, ZipShell Pro is able to manipulate these files in Windows without shelling to DOS to use PKZIP, PKUNZIP, or ARJ.

Built-in ZIP extraction is compatible with all types of ZIP archives, but does not work with password encrypted files.  Built-in ZIP compression creates ZIP files which are 100% compatible with PKZIP/PKUNZIP 2.04; again, password encryption is not supported.  Archives created with built-in ZIP compression cannot be extracted with PKUNZIP 1.10; version 2.04 is required.

Built-in extraction and compression require a 386 or better processor.  To enable them, select the "Preferences" command from the "File" menu, go to the "Archivers" section, and check the boxes that say "Use built-in zipping and unzipping (or arj extraction) when possible."

If these built-in routines are enabled and ZipShell Pro encounters a situation where it cannot use them to manipulate an archive (such as extracting an archive with encryption), it will automatically revert to shelling to DOS to use PKZIP, PKUNZIP, or ARJ.


proc_view
Viewing Files Inside an Archive

To view a file inside an archive, you must open the archive, select the file you wish to view, and then press the View button.  ZipShell Pro will then extract the file to a temporary location and launch a viewer to view it.  When you quit ZipShell Pro, these temporary files will be deleted.

The viewer which ZipShell Pro uses to view the file depends on the type of file to be viewed and the "Viewer Behavior" and "Default Viewer" options.  These options are accessible by choosing the "Preferences" command from the "File" menu and then selecting the "General" category.

See Also:

Opening and viewing an archive

“Viewer Behavior” option

”Default Viewer” option


opt_behave
Viewer Behavior

The option buttons in this section tell ZipShell Pro how you wish it to behave when you choose to view a file inside of an archive.

•	Selecting the "Use Default Viewer" option will cause ZipShell Pro to always use the program you have specified in the "Default Viewer" section to view files.

•	Selecting the "Use Associated File, If Any" option will cause ZipShell Pro to use whatever program is associated (in the [Extensions] section of the WIN.INI file) with the file you are trying to view.  If no program is associated with the type of file you are viewing, ZipShell Pro will use the program you have specified in the "Default Viewer" section.

•	Selecting the "Prompt For Viewer To Use" option will cause ZipShell Pro to prompt you each time you try to view a file whether you wish to use the default viewer or a program that is associated with the file you are trying to view.


opt_defview
Default Viewer

Specifies the program you wish to use as your default viewer.  This is the program that will be used most often to view files and should be a good text viewer or word processor.  See the "Viewer Behavior" section on information about when the default viewer is used.


Customer Information

Contacting NewVision

Copyrights

De-Installation

Installation

Registering ZipShell Pro

Software License

Supported Archivers

System Requirements

Warranty Disclaimer

What's New with Version 4.0


howtoreach
How to Contact NewVision

NewVision welcomes all comments, suggestions and questions you might have.  The easiest way to reach us is via e-mail.  For America Online and Internet users, contact us at NewVision1@aol.com.  For CompuServe users, contact us at [76020,732].

We can also be reached by mail or phone:
NewVision
800 Fifth Ave. #382
Seattle, WA  98104
(206) 661-9881


Copyrights

ZipShell Pro and all accompanying files are Copyright © 1992-1994 by NewVision.  All rights reserved.

Portions of ZPSUNARJ.DLL are a modified version of UNARJ.EXE, Copyright © 1991-1993 by Robert K. Jung.  All rights reserved.

Portions of NVZIP.DLL are a modified version of InfoZIP's ZIP.EXE, Copyright © 1990-1993 by Mark Adler, Richard B. Wales, Jean-loup Gailly, Kai Uwe Rommel, Igor Mandrichenko and John Bush.  Source code for ZIP.EXE available upon request for a $3.00 copying charge.


Software License

     ZipShell Pro is not public domain software, nor is it free.  Non-licensed users are granted a 30-day period during which they may use ZipShell Pro on a trial basis, to see if it is suitable for their needs.  After the 30-day trial period, users are required to register the program or discontinue using it.

     Licensed users may use ZipShell Pro only on a single computer.  It may be used on more than one computer, as long as there is no chance of it being used on different computers at the same time.  Organizations interested in using ZipShell Pro on a number of computers or workstations should contact NewVision about the possibitility of obtaining a site license for the program.

     Licensed users of ZipShell Pro may not rent or lease the program, but may transfer the program, with all accompanying materials, on a permanent basis provided that they retain no copy of the program, and the recipient agrees to all terms of the Software License.  ZipShell Pro is protected by copyright laws of the United States and must be treated like any other copyrighted material.  Under no circumstances may anyone disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer the program.


Supported Archivers

In order to perform some of its functions, ZipShell Pro requires the presence of third-party, DOS-based archivers.  These archivers may be present anywhere on your system (ZipShell Pro will prompt you for their location the first time they are used).  You only need archivers appropriate for the type(s) of archives you wish to use.  Also, ZipShell Pro is able to extract most ZIP and ARJ files internally, and compress ZIP archives internally, without using an external program.  The supported archivers are as follows:

1 	For ZIP files:	PKZIP.EXE & PKUNZIP.EXE, any version
by PKWARE, Inc.

2 	For ARJ files:	ARJ.EXE, version 2.30 or later
by Robert Jung

3 	For LZH files:	LHA.EXE, version 2.1x
by Haruyasu Yoshizaki

4 	for ARC files:	ARC.EXE, version 6.02 or later
by System Enhancements Associates, Inc.


Warranty Disclaimer

     THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS (INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE) ARE PROVIDES "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. FURTHER, NEWVISION DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE, OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE, OR THE RESULTS OF USE, OF THE SOFTWARE OR WRITTEN MATERIALS IN TERMS OF CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS, OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. IF THE SOFTWARE OR WRITTEN MATERIALS ARE DEFECTIVE, YOU, AND NOT NEWVISION OR ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES, ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

     NEWVISION DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT  NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  NEITHER NEWVISION NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SOFTWARE EVEN IF NEWVISION HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS.  IN NO EVENT SHALL NEWVISION'S LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES EVER EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF CLAIM.  THE PERSON USING THIS SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.  YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

     This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Washington.  Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of or related to this agreement shall be brought only in a STATE or FEDERAL court of competent jurisdiction located in King County, Washington.


whatsnew
What's New

Below are some of the new features of ZipShell Pro 4.0:

•	Completely redesigned interface with more intuitive and attractive dialogs.

•	Removed command buttons and replaced with more functional toolbar.

•	Added "recurse subdirectories" option when compressing ZIP archives.

•	Added option to create a Program Manager group and icons for items extracted.  Compatible with Norton Desktop and PC Tools.

•	Entire directories can be drag-and-dropped onto ZipShell Pro for compression, instead of just files as with the previous version.

•	Main listbox now resizes properly when its parent window is resized.

•	Fixed bug that caused PKZIP to crash when the -& and -b options were both selected.

•	Added "QuikExtract" button for quick extraction with no dialogs to sort through.

•	Added support for advanced PKZIP and PKUNZIP v2.04 memory options.

•	When deleting files from an archive, replaced the confirmation message box with a confirmation dialog, to prevent the creation of a message box larger than the screen when a large number of files are selected.


Guide to archives
A Beginner's Guide to Archives

This file is designed to acquaint new users with the concept of archive usage:  what archives are, how and when to use them, and popular archive types..  Also included is a brief discussion of how archives work.

 Archive?  What's that?

 When should I use an archive?

 Types of archives

 What do I need to work with archives?

 How do archives work?


What is an archive
What is an archive?

In the early 1980's, when someone wanted to send some computer files (a program and its accompanying documentation files, for example) to someone else over a modem there was no better way to do it than send them one by one, an inconvenient and time-consuming process.  Copying programs onto floppy diskettes to give to friends or associates also was made difficult by the fact that most foppy drives at the time were of the 360K variety, so a large number of diskettes would sometimes be required, and if you had a single file larger than 360K, it would not fit on a floppy disk and you were pretty much out of luck.

To cope with these problems and the increasing popularity of BBS's and Shareware that occurred later in the decade, the archive was developed.  An archive is just a particular type of computer file that serves a particular purpose; in this case, to store a number of files together inside one file, while at the same time compressing them so that they take less space.  This has two desirable effects when sending files over a modem:  a group of files can be sent at once, and the total transmission time is reduced, sometimes dramatically.

Over the years, archives have developed into several varieties, but all have the same basic function:  they can store a large number of files inside a single file (much the way large numbers of news articles can be 'stored' inside a single newspapers), and the resulting conglomeration is compressed (or shrunk) so that the file takes up less storage space on a hard or floppy disk than it otherwise would.


When to use archives
When should I use an archive?

Archives are typically used in the two situations described below:

•	When files are sent or received over a modem, they are almost always archived.  This saves substantially on transmission time and enables groups of files to be sent together.  Nearly all files downloaded from a BBS or online service will be archived in some way.  If you plan to upload files to one of these services, you should archive them, first checking which archive type is most commonly used on the system.

•	When files are copied to floppy diskettes they are often archived also.  This enables more files to fit on one diskette than would otherwise be possible, thus reducing the total number of diskettes needed to copy a given number of files.

Caution:   It is important to remember when sharing archives with other users that the person you are sharing your archive with must have a tool to extract the information from the archive, or else the archive will be useless.  For this reason, it is wise to use one of the industry-standard formats described in the next section.  This will increase the likelihood of the other user being able to use your archive.  In cases where you cannot be sure what archiving tools the other user will have, you may elect to use a self-extracting archive, also described in the next section.


Types of Archives

There are several different varieties of archives in use on DOS computers.  Each type requires a different program to manipulate, but all are similar in form and function.  The term "archive" is used to denote a computer file which contains other compressed files, while the term "archiver" is used to reference the program that is required to manipulate a particular type of archive.

The four most popular archives types in use today are ARC, ARJ, LZH and ZIP, all of which can be manipulated using NewVision's ZipShell Pro.  More obscure archive types include PAK, ZOO, and ICE.  Following is a brief discussion of each of the the four major types:

1 	ARC:  This is the earliest general-pupose archiver produced for the PC.  After its release in 1985 by System Enhancement Associates, it quickly became the standard for DOS users worldwide.  Although still in occasional use today, it has been relegated to relative obscurity by the three remaining types described below, all of which offer better speed, tighter compression ratios, and/or more features.  Many older files on BBS's are archived in this format, so it is handy to have a program which can manipulate it, of which there are many.

2 	ZIP:  Released a few years after ARC, the programs PKZIP (used to create ZIP archives) and PKUNZIP (used to extract them) by PKWARE, Inc., quickly replaced ARC as the dominant archive type.  It's main advantage over ARC is speed, but it also boasts high compression ratios and a richer feature set.

3 	LZH:  Although not as popular as ZIP archives, LZH archives are often used today in place of ZIP files, mainly because its creator (Haruyasu Yoshizaki) has distributed his archiver (LHA) as freeware, allowing any person or organization to use it free of charge.  The source code to this utility is freely available, so this archive type has been ported to many other operating systems.

4 	ARJ:  Relatively new on the scene, ARJ impressed its users with its tight compression ratios and its inclusion of many advanced features, such as the ability to split a large archive up onto several floppy disks.  Recent versions of PKZIP have addressed this issue, but ARJ continues to enjoy a modest following.  Its creator (Robert Jung) has also made availble the source code to extract ARJ files.

Self-Extracting Archives

Not a unique type itself, the self-extracting archive is a derivative of one of the types listed above.  It is an option that allows the archive to be created as an executable program which can extract itself on any computer without using an archiver or other tool.  Thus, its main advantage is that everyone can use it, whether or not they have any archiving programs on their system.

Creating self-extracting archives usually costs both space (the resulting archives can be as much as 30K larger than their non-self-extracting counterparts) and money, since most companies require a distribution license to allow users to distribute self-extracting archives created by their archivers.  Exceptions to this are LHA, which is completely free (as noted above), and NewVision's ZipShell Pro, which creates Windows self-extracting archives (executable archives that extract themselves under the Windows environment) that may be distributed without a distribution license.


What do I need to work with archives
What do I need to work with archives?

In order to create and extract archives of a given type, you need a program (or archiver) which is capable of manipulating that archive type.  Given below are the most popular DOS programs for doing so.  Note that these have no user-interface per se, but are driven by complicated command-line arguments.

•	For ZIP archives:  PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE by PKWARE, Inc.  Latest version:  2.04g.

•	For LZH archives:  LHA.EXE by Haruyasu Yoshizaki.  Latest version:  2.12.

•	ARJ.EXE by Robert Jung.  Latest version:  2.40.

•	For ARC archives:  ARC.EXE by System Enhancement Associates.  Latest version:  6.02.  Also commonly used is PKARC by PKWARE, Inc.

Hint:  For many users, an attractive altnerative to learning the command-line syntaxes of the above archivers is to use an archive shell, which handles a lot of the drudge work automatically and lets you treat archives of different types exactly the same.  You still may need the above programs, but you will no longer have to use them directly.  Rather, the archive shell will invoke them as needed.  NewVision's ZipShell Pro is such as archive shell, which has the additional benefit of using its own internal routines when working with ZIP archives, so that it rarely (or never) needs the services of PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE.


How archives work
How do archives work?

Following is a brief discussion of how archiver compression works.  You do NOT need to understand this in order to use archives well, so if you're not interested, feel free to skip this section.

There is a lot of repetition in most computer files, and archivers are able to compress them by exploiting this fact.  For example, suppose a word processing document contains 50 occurrences of the word "the."  Instead of storing this word 50 times, why not store it just once?  The first time the archiver runs across the word "the", it stores it as is.  The next 49 times it just inserts a pointer to the original phrase, thus saving space.  It's actually a little bit more complicated than this, but this is the basic picture, and this is the sort of compression used by almost every major archiver.  These compression algorithms can restore the original data exactly, and thus are called "lossless" algorithms.

Although not an archive, many graphics formats utilize compression techniques that differ somewhat from the one explained above.  In particular, JPEG files achieve remarkable compression of graphics files through a "lossy" technique:  some of the original data in the picture is lost, but usually not enough to degrade the picture to any great degree.  The amount of compression can be varied, which results in a gain or loss of picture resolution.

Common Compression Acronyms:

•	CRC:  Cyclical Redundancy Check.  An algorithm used by archivers to ensure data integrity.

•	LZW:  Type of lossless compression named for its creators:  Jacob Ziv, Abraham Lempel, and Terry Welch.

•	GIF:  Graphics Interchange Format.  A graphics format, originated by CompuServe, which uses LZW compression to reduce image size.

•	JPG:  DOS extension for graphics files compressed with  the JPEG algorithm.  JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group.

•	RLE:  Run-Length Encoding.  A type of compression whereby a stream of identical characters is stored as a single character plus a count.


Index

A

adding files to an archive

B

Beginner's Guide to Archives

built-in compression and extraction

C

Close Archive command

closing an archive

commands

contents

converting archives

copyrights

creating a new archive

creating DOS self-extracting archives

creating Windows self-extracting archives

customer information

D

de-installation

decompression files

deleting an archive

deleting files from an archive

displaying extended archive information

E

extracting files from an archive

F

fixing a corrupted ZIP archive

H

How do archives work?

how to reach NewVision

how-to for common procedures

I

index

installation instructions

internal compression and extraction

Introduction to ZipShell Pro

J

joining ARJ archives

M

menu commands

N

New Archive command

new archives

O

Open/Current Window command

Open/New Window command

opening an archive

options

P

preferences

procedures

R

registering ZipShell Pro

renaming an archive

S

software license

supported archivers

system requirements

T

testing an archive's integrity

toolbar commands

types of archives

V

viewing an archive

viewing files inside an archive

W

warranty disclaimer

What do I need to work with archives?

What is an archive?

What's new

When should I use an archive?


Archive Comment Editor
“Archive Comment Editor” Window

The archive comment for the current archive, if any, is displayed in this window.  You can use the toolbar to turn word-wrap on or off to make viewing easier.

When you press the "Close" button to close the window, ZipShell Pro will check to see if you have modified the archive comment.  If you have, you will be asked whether you want to save the modifed comment back into the archive.  If you reply "yes", ZipShell Pro will write the new comment into the current archive; otherwise, any changes to the comment will be discarded.


Enter Password

The archive that you are attempting to extract contains files that have been encrypted, or scrambled, to protect its data from being accessed by unauthorized persons.  Such files require a password in order to be extracted successfully.

To continue the extraction, enter the password in the space provided and press the "OK" button.

NOTE:  ZipShell Pro's built-in unzipping routines do not work with encrypted files.  When you continue the extraction by pressing the "OK" button, ZipShell Pro will utilize PKUNZIP.EXE to extract the archive.


opt_associate
Associate

Clicking on this button causes ZipShell Pro to associate itself in the [Extensions] section of the WIN.INI file with all ZIP, ARJ, ARC and LZH archives.  This means that whenever you attempt to launch one of these archives, ZipShell Pro will be launched and the archive will be opened up for viewing.

ZipShell Pro automatically associated these archives with itself the first time it is run on your system.  If you have moved ZipShell Pro since then, or have had another program modify these associations, clicking the "Associate" button will return the associations to their previous state.


opt_explode
Exploding Windows

If this option is checked, ZipShell Pro will use a visual effect called "exploding" when displaying most of its windows.  If you find this effect unappealing, or if you find that it takes too long due to a slow video card, disable this option.


opt_showopen
Show File Open Dialog On Startup

If this option is checked, ZipShell Pro will display the Open Archive window everytime it is started, allowing you to choose an archive to open.  However, if ZipShell Pro has been started with a filename as a parameter, the Open Archive window is not displayed, even if this option is checked.


options_archivers
Archivers

Use this window to set global compression and extraction options.

•	PKZIP and PKUNZIP version:  Select the version of PKZIP and PKUNZIP you wish to use.  It is suggested that you use version 2.04 for it offers better compression ratios, is faster, and is compatible with all of ZipShell Pro's built-in archiving routines.

•	Check the "Use built-in zipping and unzipping" and "Use built-in arj extraction" boxes if you wish to make use of ZipShell Pro's built-in archiving routines.  These routines are internal and Windows-based, enabling most commong procedures to be done without shelling to DOS.

•	The "Advanced Options for PKZIP & PKUNZIP" display some global memory options available when using PKZIP and PKUNZIP 2.04.  If you get strange errors (such as a "violated system integrity" error) when ZipShell Pro shells to PKZIP or PKUNZIP v2.04, disabling all the options except "Use Slow Memcopy" may help.


options_display
Display Options

Use the commands in this window to alter the appearance of ZipShell Pro's main list display.

•	Use the "Font" button to change the font displayed in ZipShell Pro's main listbox.  Only fixed-pitch fonts are available for selection.

•	Use the "Color" button to change the color used as background in ZipShell Pro's main listbox.


options_general
General Options

Select one of the options below for a full description:

 Show File Open Dialog On Startup

 Exploding Windows

 Viewer Behavior

 Default Viewer

 Associate


options_paths
Paths

Use the Paths window to edit the locations of the DOS-based archivers that ZipShell Pro may need to use.  To browse for a location, select an archiver and then press the "Browse..." button.

It is not necessary to enter the correct location of an archiver before using it for the first time.  If ZipShell Pro requires the use of a DOS-based archiver and cannot find it, it will prompt you for its location at the time it is needed.


tool_add
Add Button

Pressing this window displays the "Add Files to Archive" window, allowing you to add files to the current archive.  If there is no archive open in the current window when this button is pressed, ZipShell Pro will assume you wish to create a new archive and will ask you for the new file's name and location before allowing you to proceed with the selection of files to be added.

See Also:

Adding files to an archive


tool_comment
Comment Button

Pressing this button displays the archive comment, if any, and allows you to edit it if you wish.  This button is disabled for LZH and ARC archives.

See Also:

“Archive Comment Editor” window


tool_delete
Delete Button

Pressing this button will allow you to delete the selected files from the current archive.  Confirmation is asked before the process is completed.

See Also:

Deleting files from an archive

Deleting an archive


tool_extract
Extract Button

Pressing this button displays the "Extraction Options" window, which allows you to specify files for extraction and view and/or modify extraction options before proceeding with decompression.

See Also:

Extracting files from an archive

“Extraction Options” window


tool_new
New Button

Opens a new, untitled archive window.  Has the same effect as selecting the "New Archive" command from the "File" menu.

See Also:

File:  “New Archive” Command


tool_open
Open Button

Displays the Open Archive dialog and displays the selected file in the current archive window.  Pressing this button has the same effect as choosing the "Open/Current Window..." button from the "File" menu.

See Also:

File:  “Open/Current Window...” command


tool_qextract
QuikExtract Button

Pressing this button extracts the selected files to the Target Path displayed at the bottom of the archive window.  Default extraction options are used; the Extraction Options window is not displayed.  If you wish to view and/or modify the extraction options, use the Extract button instead.

If no files are selected when this button is pressed, all the files in the archive are selected and extracted.

See Also:

Extracting files from an archive


tool_view
View Button

Pressing this button will cause ZipShell Pro to extract the currently selected file and display it for viewing.  The file is extracted to a temporary location and is deleted when ZipShell Pro is closed.

The choice of the viewer which ZipShell Pro uses to view the file is determined by the "Viewer Behavior" and "Default Viewer" sections under the General Options window.

See Also:

Viewing files in an archive


BBS's

Acronym for Bulletin Board Service.  A BBS is a computer service that home computers can connect to electronically, via a modem.  Many offer features such as file transfers, message boards and chatting with other users.


modem

Acronym for MOdulator-DEModulator.  A modem is a device used by computers to send data over normal telephone lines.  They are usually used by home computers to connect to BBS's and online services, such as CompuServe and America Online.


Shareware

Shareware is a method of software distribution.  It allows users to try software for a period of time before they decide whether they would like to purchase it.  Thus, users can find the software that is right for them without paying large amounts of money for programs which they may find they don't like.  Shareware programs are also often less expensive than their commercial counterparts, and yet often achieve equal or superior functionality.  Although copyrighted, shareware programs may be freely distributed.  This benefits both the author of the program, who would like as many users to try the program as possible, and the users, who have a huge number of high-quality programs to try before they buy.


Target Path

The path that files will be extracted to during a decompression operation.  This location is specified in the status line at the bottom of the archive window.  Clicking on this path with the mouse (or pressing [ALT + P]) will allow you to change the Target Path.