Why are executable files not included in 'Extract All' on one machine, but not another?

Question

We're providing a zip file of our application for testing and the same zip file on two separate machines is extracted differently. One will extract all files, the other will extract all but the executables (.exe and .msi specifically).

We're going to have to tell our customers something other than 'use WinZip' (or 7zip, or whatever)

When I look at what is happening using ProcessMonitor, I see that the explorer.exe process is creating each file, then deleting it. WTF?

The two systems are Windows Server 2003 with SP2. Surely there is a setting that we can point to that explains why this happens.

UPDATE 1** I enabled/disabled virus scanning with no noticeable effect.

Answer 1

My guess is it's a virus scanner or other "anti-malware" bit of kit - possibly something to do with group policy?

Answer 2

IIRC, ProcessMonitor has the option to show the stack for the delete event. You would need Windows symbols (or a configured symbol server), but the function names should give you an hint why the executables are deleted.

Answer 3

There was a security patch/setting that one machine had that the other didn't. The zip file needed to be 'unlocked' by looking at the properties.

Until then, no executables/dlls would be extracted from the file.