Method for preventing users from compressing files (328597)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP1
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1
This article was previously published under Q328597

SYMPTOMS

You might want to prevent users from putting compressed files on a file server. You might want to do this because of the CPU power that is used to compress and uncompress the files, or to help predict the backup space that you will need.

You can prevent users from putting compressed files on a file server by disabling compression on the file server completely, but this can cause problems with programs that expect compression to be available on a volume that uses the NTFS file system.

The hotfix that is described in this article provides a method to disable compression on a per-program basis on a client computer. The support for this method is built into the Application Compatibility layer. One way to deploy this method is by using computer Group Policy objects (GPOs).

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Hotfix information

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
   Date         Time   Version        Size       File name      Platform  SP
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   31-Dec-2002  00:28  5.1.2600.108   1,801,728  Acgenral.dll   x86       none
   20-Dec-2002  19:11                 1,055,610  Sysmain.sdb    x86       none
   31-Dec-2002  01:16  5.1.2600.1152  1,821,696  Acgenral.dll   x86       1
   19-Dec-2002  22:42                 1,086,000  Sysmain.sdb    x86       1
   16-Dec-2002  22:58  5.1.2600.108   1,801,728  Wacgenral.dll  IA64      none
   20-Dec-2002  19:11                 1,055,610  Wsysmain.sdb   IA64      none
   18-Dec-2002  19:28  5.1.2600.1152  1,821,696  Wacgenral.dll  IA64      1
   19-Dec-2002  22:42                 1,086,000  Wsysmain.sdb   IA64      1

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.

MORE INFORMATION

Note You must configure this hotfix on a per-program basis. Explorer.exe is only an example.

Programs such as Explorer.exe call the GetVolumeInformation function to retrieve information about a volume's capabilities. With this hotfix installed, the Application Compatibility layer can hide some of these options, such as FS_FILE_COMPRESSION or FILE_SUPPORTS_ENCRYPTION.

After you install this hotfix, you can apply Security Database (SDB) files that contain instructions about how to use the layer. Note that the Compatibility Administrator tool is included with the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit. To download the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4005DA79-933A-4CC8-BF86-FE2E28B792FD

To create an SDB file to prevent compression in Explorer.exe by using Compatibility Administrator, follow these steps:
  1. Install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), or download and install the hotfix that is included in the "Resolution" section on the computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1).
  2. Download and install the Microsoft .NET Framework Version 1.1 Redistributable Package from the following Microsoft Web site:

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=262d25e3-f589-4842-8157-034d1e7cf3a3&DisplayLang=en

  3. Start the Compatibility Administrator tool. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 4.0, point to Tools, and then click Compatibility Administrator.
  4. In the Compatibility Administrator console, click Fix, type Explorer.exe in the Name of the program to be fixed box, type Microsoft Corp. in the Name of the vendor for this program box, and then click Browse.
  5. Click the Explorer.exe file that is located in the c:\Windows folder, click Open, and then click Next.
  6. In the Operating System Modes list, click None, and then click Next.
  7. If the Clear All button is available, click Clear All to clear all other compatibility fixes, click to select the GetVolumeInformationLie check box in the Compatibility Fixes list, and then click Parameters.
  8. In the Command line box, type 16 to disable compression, type 131072 to disable encryption, or type 131088 to disable both compression and encryption.
  9. In the Module name box, type Explorer.exe, click Include, click Add, click OK, and then click Next.
  10. In the Matching Information dialog box, click Finish, click Save on the File menu, type Explorer.exe in the Database Name box, and then click OK.
  11. In the Save Database dialog box, type Explorer.sdb in the File name box, click to select the C:\Windows\AppPatch folder, and then click Save.
You can repeat these steps for all the programs that use compression or for programs that use common file dialog boxes, such as Open or Save As, because users can access file properties from these dialog boxes.

To deploy SDB files, follow these steps:
  1. SDB files that you create in the C:\Windows\AppPatch folder must be distributed to all computers that need the setting. Copy the SDB files to the C:Windows\AppPatch folder on the destination computer.
  2. Run the sdbinst Windows\apppatch\explorer.sdb command to install the setting. Repeat for each SDB file.
To create an SDB file to enable compression in Explorer.exe by using Compatibility Administrator, follow these steps:
  1. Install Windows XP SP2, or download and install the hotfix that is included in the "Resolution" section on the computer that is running Windows XP SP1.
  2. Download and install the Microsoft .NET Framework Version 1.1 Redistributable Package from the following Microsoft Web site:

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=262d25e3-f589-4842-8157-034d1e7cf3a3&DisplayLang=en

  3. Start the Compatibility Administrator tool. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 4.0, point to Tools, and then click Compatibility Administrator.
  4. In the Compatibility Administrator console, click Fix, type Explorer.exe in the Name of the program to be fixed box, type Microsoft Corp. in the Name of the vendor for this program box, and then click Browse.
  5. Click the Explorer.exe file that is located in the c:\Windows folder, click Open, and then click Next.
  6. In the Operating System Modes list, click None, and then click Next.
  7. If the Clear All button is available, click Clear All to clear all other compatibility fixes, click to select the GetVolumeInformationLie check box in the Compatibility Fixes list, click Next, and then click Finish in the Matching Information dialog box.
  8. Click Save on the File menu, type Explorer.exe in the Database Name box, and then click OK.
  9. In the Save Database dialog box, type Explorer.sdb in the File name box, click to select the C:\Windows\AppPatch folder, and then click Save.

    Note Click Yes if you receive a message to replace the existing file.
  10. Apply this file to the computers where you want to enable compression again by using the steps in the "To deploy SDB files:" section earlier in this article.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/2/2006
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbWinXPsp2fix kbQFE kbbug kbfix kbWinXPpreSP2fix KB328597
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