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Question

Winzip: Unable to find local header?

Sep 6, 2012 10:41PM PDT

Hello,

I am using a trial version of Winzip and am not able to extract one of my zip files with a huge size 47.5 GB, password protected which contains mainly my photos and videos. The error message is "Unable to find the local header for (file name)". I am trying to use "Recovery toolbox for zip" to repair and extract the file, but the program keeps running for hours and I don't know how long it is going to take (hours, days, weeks???) Please advise.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: zipped file
Sep 6, 2012 10:51PM PDT

That's a big file indeed. Why did you make it? Photo's and video's already are compressed, so there's hardly anything (or better said: nothing) to win by trying to compress it again. While - as you notice - there is a much bigger chance of losing something (or: all). And password protected, moreover. That only makes sense if that pictures and videos are such that you would want nobody to see them, such as child porn or preparing a terrorist attack.

All you can do yourself: try different recovery programs and be patient. For each recovery program you try, make a fresh copy of the original, so that the things the first one did don't influence the second one.

Kees

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Winzip not extracting
Sep 7, 2012 3:09AM PDT

To Kees: The idea to zip my photos & videos were to make a back up on a hard disk with a pass word protection. You should not be so paranoid and use quickly words such as pornography and or terrorism. You may be a journalist and want to protect your photos / videos or you may wish as a persone to keep your privacy. That is why the password has been created and added to most of softwares.

Any way, I am currently running Recovery Toolbox program to find out if my problem will be solved and at the same time have sent an e-mail to Winzip support and have asked them if they can help me with this problem.

Thanks any way

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Answer
At 47.5 GB a recovery app could take days, weeks or longer.
Sep 7, 2012 1:17AM PDT

I can only hope you have an unencrypted (no password) backup copy of what you can't lose to restore from.

And on another machine try 7zip on that file.

-> Parting note. Since this file is so far over the 4.0GB FAT32 limit on size, be sure there are no FAT32 drives in sight on the machine when attempting to work on this.
Bob

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Winzip & local header problem
Sep 7, 2012 3:18AM PDT

Hi to R. Profiftt. Unfortunately, I don't have another back up. I was so sure about Winzip and could not imagine to encounter such a problem. I will also use 7zip in the future but am doing my best not loose my photos / videos. I don't think there is any FAT32 on my PC. My other Winzip files open easily and this is the only one (may be because of size) which is refusing to extract. How come, Winzip does not warn you about this bug?

Thank you

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They might. But there are other than Winzip issues.
Sep 7, 2012 3:27AM PDT

There are file system and OS issues that can play into this. It was only recently that files over 4GB were implemented and then you can encounter issues as you pass 4GB, 16, 32 and such GB numbers. How do I know this? My background included looking over the source code to MS-DOS 1.2 for some OEM maker long ago and work in the embedded world which you can guess later meant we used PCs to develop the apps on.

Along the way you learned to always keep backups and most importantly some copy "in the clear" without encryption for the time the decryption fails. Maybe I will give an exception for our own in house encryption but for that, we wrote it so we can repair headers and more.
Bob

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Winzip % local header ?
Sep 7, 2012 7:13PM PDT

Hi again. You may be right. I am going to remove and re install Winzip to see if it can help. Am still waiting to receive a response from Winzip support team. If no help received, I may call a technicien to see if there is something to be done. Meanwhile, I had a message from Recovery ToolBox saying that, they can't help me with this problem. Thanks.

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Answer
"using a trial version of Winzip"
Sep 8, 2012 1:40AM PDT

---> "using a trial version of Winzip"

I don't expect a reply for support for any trial versions. That's part of the deal. No money changed hands, no support is expected.
Bob

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Answer
As has been noted ...
Sep 8, 2012 10:45AM PDT
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Winzip problem
Sep 9, 2012 12:39AM PDT

Hi Edward. I have executed the command line and the Winzip is fixing my file apparently and don't know yet how long it is going to take and if the result will be satisfactory. According to Winzip info there is no limit of file size for zipping and unzipping! Your guide was a good help and will let you know the result once the procedure comes to an end. However, in the future I will keep a back up of my data without password and zip and when if I zip a folder will try to open it strait away to see if it works.

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Hope it works ...
Sep 10, 2012 11:00AM PDT

and what you intend for the future sounds like a good plan.

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Answer
Winzip? unzip?
Sep 12, 2012 8:13PM PDT

Hello all. I just finished successfully with restore / backup procedure and lost no data but several working days. When I remembered that I had in my possession an old system back up I stopped with Winzip support and concentrated to retreive my huge photo / video file from my own bakc up. The previous zip file with 47 GB size was not corrupted. I think it was corrupted later when I added a few more files and re encrypted again. Any way thank you all.

AMP

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Good job.
Sep 12, 2012 8:29PM PDT

And glad to see your problem is solved.

Kees