Shell command to execute Pkzip in Windows NT

[Soccer Bunny]

I created a VB program which creates a database, executes Pkzip to zip the mdb, and create an executable file. The application works in Windows 98 and Windows 2000, but for some reason it is not working in Windows NT. I have read Microsofts website and how Pkzip can "hang" the system, so I moved the application to a read and write directory, but it still isn't working. I am new to the programming world, so bear with me. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[Cimperiali]

If you manually run PKzip on your winnt machine, does it works? (You know, via the old Dos prompt...).
If so, something is missing in your application. Ie: you know PKzip will require short Path and File names?...
Hope this may help
Cesare Imperiali

Special thanks to Lothar "the Great" Haensler. Come back soon, you Guru.

[Soccer Bunny]

Thanks for the input. I tested Pkzip on an associates computer running Windows NT, and it worked without any problems. Then I ran my application on it and it seemed to work this time? But then I got a "Dr. Watson Fatal error code 87" I think it is because I left the MS-DOS window open from when I ran it manually. Does this make sense??? Thanks again for your response. Have a great day!

[Cimperiali]

Have a look at this code (special tahnks to codeguru people-some of it is of some guys here). Look expecially at module .bas code. There are some Api inside, so check for sintax under NT (it may be different, and it may be reason why it may not work on that machine: I run this only under win98).
Option Explicit
'remember position of files pkzip e pkunzip
Public strToUnZip As String
Public strToZip As String
'--------------
'pkzip and winzip (even version 8.0)
'work with short files name
Private Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetShortPathNameA" (ByVal lpszLongPath As String, ByVal lpszShortPath As String, ByVal cchBuffer As Long) As Long

'--------------
'wait for end of task
Const INFINITE = -1&

Private Declare Function WaitForSingleObject Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hHandle As Long, ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, ByVal bInheritHandle As Long, ByVal dwProcessId As Long) As Long

Public Function Chiama_E_Attendi(sfile As String) As Long
Dim strNomeArchivio As String
Dim lngExecOK As Long
Dim lProcessHandle As Long
Dim lReturnValue As Long

On Error GoTo errHandler

Fshell.Hide 'hide form

'pkzip and winzip work with dos names!
Dim lenShort As Long
lenShort = Len(sfile)
Dim sfileShort As String * 255
Dim sfileShort2 As String
Dim lngCallApi As Long

lngCallApi = GetShortPathName(sfile, sfileShort, lenShort)


sfileShort2 = Left(sfileShort, lngCallApi)
'if first byte= 0,
'path is already short
If Asc(Left(sfileShort2, 1)) = 0 Then
sfileShort2 = sfile
End If
'choose what to do on extension of file
If UCase(Right(sfile, 3)) = "ZIP" Then
'where is pkunzip.exe?
If Dir(strToUnZip, vbDirectory) = "" Or Len(strToUnZip) = 0 Then
strToUnZip = InputBox("insert path to ''Pkunzip.exe'' without last slash ")
End If
If Dir(strToUnZip & "\pkunzip.exe") = "" Then
MsgBox "pkunzip.exe not found in " & strToUnZip
strToUnZip = ""
Fshell.Show ' show form
Exit Function
End If
lngExecOK = Shell(strToUnZip & "\pkunzip.exe" & Space(1) & "-d" & Space(1) & sfileShort2, vbNormalFocus)
Else
' mdb extension
'compress with pkzip
'1)where is pkzip.exe?

If Dir(strToZip, vbDirectory) = "" Or Len(strToZip) = 0 Then
strToZip = InputBox("insert path to ''Pkzip.exe'' without ending slash")
End If
If Dir(strToZip & "\pkunzip.exe") = "" Then
MsgBox "pkzip.exe not found in " & strToZip
strToZip = ""
Fshell.Show 'show form
Exit Function
End If

'2)name for compress file
strNomeArchivio = InputBox("input a name for comprtess archive (Max 8 char. do not type extension)")
If Len(strNomeArchivio) > 8 Then
strNomeArchivio = Left(strNomeArchivio, 8) & ".zip"
ElseIf strNomeArchivio = "" Then
' cancel pressed or not name inserted
'Default name:
'strNomeArchivio = "backup.zip"
'or show fShell again
Fshell.Show 'rimostra la form
Exit Function

End If
lngExecOK = Shell(strToZip & "\pkzip.exe" & Space(1) & strNomeArchivio & Space(1) & sfileShort2, vbNormalFocus)
End If

'utilizza il valore di ritorno della funzione shell
'per ottenere un handle al processo
lProcessHandle = OpenProcess(&H100000, True, lngExecOK)

'aspetta finchè il processo non si chiude
lReturnValue = WaitForSingleObject(lProcessHandle, INFINITE)


'quando la riga seguente verrà eseguita,
'il programma chiamato avrà terminato la sua esecuzione

Fshell.Show 'rimostra la finestra

'MsgBox "Terminato " & Now

Chiama_E_Attendi = lReturnValue
Exit Function
errHandler:
MsgBox Err & Space(2) & Error$
Err.Clear
Unload Fshell
Set Fshell = Nothing
End
End Function

Sub Main()
'impedisci il lancio di cloni di questo programma
'da parte dello stesso utente. Questo non è il modo
'migliore per farlo: due copie di questo eseguibile
'in due directory diverse possono ingannare il
'sistema. In sostituzione, esiste un'Api che trova
'le finestre in base al loro nome...
If App.PrevInstance Then
End
End If
Load Fshell
Fshell.Show
End Sub


Special thanks to Lothar "the Great" Haensler. Come back soon, you Guru.