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How To Create Zip Files, That Works, Cross-Platform?


Popweb

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Hi there!

 

I was wondering if anyone here has experience in putting zip files on your websites, for others to download and use?

 

I am setting up a website that is offering a bunch of pdf dokuments and mp3-files, set up as a local web-page in html.

Meaning: "open zip file and click on index.html" - thus getting access to the downloaded local "website".

 

But I am having trouble zipping the html-folder. Or rather: some of the PC/Windows users are having trouble unzipping the file.

 

The file unzips and works well on my Mac, - and on my 2 test PC's (Vista and XP).

 

But some users report errors when unzipping. ("Unexpected error." And "There is a problem with the encryption of the folder") ....

I should mention that the users are mostly VERY unexperienced computer-people. So it needs to be as simple as possible and with as few choices and options as possible.

The users are mostly blond sopranos, and the folder contains singing instructions and instructional mp3's. (Im kidding about the blond part)

 

Does anyone have ideas to how I should compress the folder?

 

Thanks

John

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PHP has a built-in Zip extension for creating and also extracting zip archives. I've only doing basic testing with it a couple times (when people posted a problem involving it). I never had an issue with any of the archives it generated on my windows or Linux machines.

 

Your users may just be getting a corrupt download due to a network problem/filter or some other thing out of your (and maybe their) control. You would need to have them send you a copy of the zipfile in question to check it for that. On an older site I used to develop for we allowed people to download zip's of some content. We would get complaints from time to time about the download not working. What it turned out to be was the server killing the download after 90 seconds, so users on a slower connection trying to download a large zip would have problems.

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Thanks for taking the time, Kicken. :-)

 

I am actually already using the zip extension, on a different project. With no negative feedback, sofar. However, those zips are probably not being used. ;-D

 

I dont think there is a timeout problem, since the zip is not very big. And at least one of the users is on a very fast connection. But I am going to make sure, by asking her to send me the downloaded file. Just in case. Thanks!

 

But actually your input makes me think. I am going to ask one of the people with zip-problems, to try to open one of the zip-files created with the zip-extension. I no problems, I will simply generate the html-zip, using the zip extension.

 

I dont know if you have any use of where this ends for me - but just in case anybody should be in the same position, I will let you know how it ends.

 

Thanks again.

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