Chess Program Download Help

I suspect that your problem might be that you're drilling down into the folders instead of simply extracting the folder using 7-Zip.

What you need to do is start with the zip file and extract the zipped files/folders with 7-Zip.

OK thanks, I think you're right I'll have a go at that, thanks for you help.

At this point I suggest you delete whatever you downloaded and learn a few basics about your OS, file extensions and file compression. And how to back up anything you want to save in case your PC stops working, not from trying to install this nimrod program but just on GP. Seriously. Or just keep on going and hope for the best, the worst case scenario is that you'll have to learn how to reinstall your OS - or pay someone else to do it. That probably won't happen though - this time.

BTW what OS are you using?

OK a bunch of stuff.

first, windows can open standard zip files without external programs now.  Its built into windows for the last couple of versions.  XP, not so sure. win 7 absolutely.  win 8, yes. 

next:

Name: ChessGuessTheMove.exe.config is not an executable file.  Its probably a text file, but whatever it is, its not executable.  This is the problem with windows handling of multiple file extensions.  The LAST extension is THE extension, so its a ???.config file, not a ???.exe file.

Ok, so zip files etc.  Make a new folder (right click, new folder).  Drop the offending file into it.  Right click the file and select "extract here" or similar wording (this will vary some if you have third party compression programs and so on, it could be under a submenu of 7 zip for example). 

Often, in the junk extracted from the above process, you will have an installer program.  running it will usually install the new software.   For very small applications, it may just BE the app without any installer required.   That is OK.   Run your virus scanner on this folder BEFORE you do ANYTHING at all after extraction!!!!

Now, if its an installer, install the program.  If not, you can rename this folder to something useful (chesspuzzle or whatever it was), drop it anywhere (c:\program files is a good place..... )  and make a shortcut to the actual executable file.   That shortcut can be dropped into your start menu or on your desktop for easy access to the software.   It should run as normal now, double click the shortcut to start it up.  If there are more than one executable files, you may have to trial and error to find the right one.  Usually its the same name as the software suite, but not always.

From here, let me know how it is going if you need more help.

I'm working on Windows 7 on the laptop and Windows XP on my computer. I'm generally OK on the running the computer it's just I'm having problems with downloading these items.

also: some chess programs are meant to be fed into existing chess programs.  For example, the crafty engine that I use is just a move engine; it requires me to call it from an existing chess interface program that displays the actual board and lets me move and all that stuff.   Downloading just crafty and nothing else gives you a very strange console (dos text type) program that does nothing useful. 

Your tool may or may not be of this sort.....   there should be words to that effect if it requires an external chess interface to operate if you read the manual.

well so far the most important / confusing thing going on is the

chessblahblahblah.exe.config file.   Find an exe file if one exists as that is a big part of what I am seeing as a problem here...?

just get the unarchiver it does everything

Thanks jonnin, I'm just reading through your post above and giving that a go next. I've tried to do as I mentioned with the 7 zip and I'm still not getting anywhere. I can't believe I'm having this trouble as I have downloaded plenty of stuff before with no issues whatsoever. What I've just had is the icon has changed by using the 7 zip but when I try to open it I get the 'do you want to make changes to the this computer' message. When I click yes it installs it on my computer but I still can't open the bloody thing when I get to it. When I click open it just keeps installing and saving it to my computer goining around in circles.

I think something has gone wrong with this 7 zip thing. Here's what I'm getting:

Open with Application/7z920.exe (default)

If I try that it just saved the download to a folder containing applications and text documents?

Gee, you've completely lost me on what's happening on your PC. But what I CAN say is that the file named "7z920.exe" is the executable installer file for the 32-bit Windows 7-Zip program. If you double-click on that file, it should begin the installation of 7-Zip on that PC. (I don't know if you've already done that.)

Edit - In other words, I'm sure that Windows should not be trying to open an application with an installer file of 7-Zip.

I've lost myself. I've been at it about 6 hours in total now trying to sort it. I went back to the start. Deleted everything and started again. I've just re-downloaded the 7 zip to the desktop and what I've got is a folder containing a bunch of files but I can't get it to run from there, I've tried double clicking on all them and nothing happens, most of them are text files anyway. I've got:

7zFM.exe, 7zG.exe, z-zip.chm, z-zip.dll, descript.ion, History.txt, license.txt, readme.txt and Uninstall.exe.

Any suggesions on what I'm supposed to do from here?

Well, I installed the 64-bit version of version 9.20. Did you install the 32-bit or 64-bit version? Also, where is this folder located that contains those files?

I have all the files you mentioned (I think you meant 7-zip.chm and 7-zip.dll), but I also have a few more: 7z.dll, 7z.exe, 7z.sfx, 7zCon.sfx, and a Lang folder. I'm not sure if the extra files I have are because I installed the 64-bit version.

I did notice that if I double-click on the 7zFM.exe file (the File Manager file), the graphical interface for 7-zip appears. Oddly, if I double-click on the 7zG.exe file (the GUI file), I only get a tiny message box that instructs me to "Specify Command".

I'm not sure if the reason you have fewer files is because you installed the 32-bit version, or because there's a problem with administrator rights.

Have you tried to extract a zipped file since you reinstalled 7-zip?

Cheers. Yes I install the 32 bit version and the message box 'specify Command' also comes up. However, unbelievably I have sorted it on my computer upstairs!! On this one I don't have this 7 zip.exe. I had a look inside the folder and found another .exe file, right clicked and ran it and the program popped up!

The only thing I need to do now is get rid of the 7 zip.exe thing on my laptop. I've tried to uninstall it and it doesn't seem to go away. The problem here is that when I try to download anything it now comes up with the zip icon next to the download in a zip file and I can't get into the folder. It's the issue with the 'Open with Application/7z920.exe (default)' I've tried changing that to 'Internet Explorer' but the download comes up as 7z920.exe and it installs to my computer with the above files inside and not the program? Any suggestions on how I can just get rid of that? You've been really helpful with it all, thanks again.

I did notice that the shortcut that was set up for 7-zip when it was installed points to the 7zFM.exe file. So if you start 7-zip from the Start menu, the 7zFM.exe file is the one that gets run. (Sorry, cross-posting. I made this post before I noticed your post #34. I'll have to read that one.)

Christ I have now sorted it, pheww. To get rid of the 7 zip.exe, I went back into default programs and changed it back and got the old folder, found the other exe and right click extracted. I have the folder on the desktop and then I can run it from there. Thanks a lot for your help. Let's hope the program was worth it (I needed to sort this out anyway for other downloads). Thanks again.

OK, the laptop. You're saying that you can't uninstall 7-Zip from this PC? Did you try to uninstall it from the Windows Start menu? (Start -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a program. Then click on the 7-Zip 9.20 program in the list, and click on the "Uninstall" button.)

Edit - Crossposting again.

Yes I tried that before and got rid of it but it was still there in the options and was still set as default. Doesn't matter really now because I just changed the default back to IE.

Just started with the program and it looks very interesting. Have to use it for a while to see how it turns out but it looks a good resource.