Troubleshooting
Problem
If you download the IBM CICS Explorer V5.1.1 or IBM Explorer for z/OS V2.1.0 onto a Windows Platform such as Windows XP or Server 2003 and use the native unzip utility to unzip the file, the unzip might pause with a prompt for a password on a file or directory within the compressed file. This prevents the succesful completion of the unzip process. Selecting Cancel on the prompt will allow the unzip to proceed, but some files might be missing in the resulting unzip folder and that might affect the installation of products contained in the unzipped install files. This might cause the product to not run correctly.
Symptom
The unzip pauses with a prompt for a password for a file or directory within the zip file.
Cause
It is an issue with filename/path length in the resultant unzipped directories but why it shows up as a password prompt is unknown at this time.
Diagnosing The Problem
CICS Explorer Install files are being extracted to:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Install Files\Explorer
that is already a long path.
Contained within the archive are files with long paths, such as:
CICS_Explorer\plugins\com.ibm.cics.explorer.sdk_5.1.100.20130531-1713\targets\cics51\com.ibm.cics.server.doc\javadoc\javadoc\com\ibm\cics\server\DestinationSelectionErrorException.html
So combined it was trying to unzip to:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Install Files\Explorer\CICS_Explorer\plugins\com.ibm.cics.explorer.sdk_5.1.100.20130531-1713\targets\cics51\com.ibm.cics.server.doc\javadoc\javadoc\com\ibm\cics\server\DestinationSelectionErrorException.html
This is beyond the Windows path length limit.
When the path to unzip the files to was shortened, then there were no prompts for a password and the extract proceeded as expected.
This error occurs when using the native unzip functions within Windows XP, and also with other zip clients such as WinZip. Where a log file is produced, errors with the following form might be seen on the log:
Error: The system cannot find the path specified.
Cannot create "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Install Files\Explorer\CICS_Explorer\Explorer_V5.1.1.0_RUN\CICS_Explorer\plugins\com.ibm.cics.explorer.sdk_5.1.100.20130531-1713\targets\cics51\com.ibm.cics.server.doc\javadoc\javadoc\com\ibm\cics\server\DestinationSelectionErrorException.html".
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Install Files\Explorer
that is already a long path.
Contained within the archive are files with long paths, such as:
CICS_Explorer\plugins\com.ibm.cics.explorer.sdk_5.1.100.20130531-1713\targets\cics51\com.ibm.cics.server.doc\javadoc\javadoc\com\ibm\cics\server\DestinationSelectionErrorException.html
So combined it was trying to unzip to:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Install Files\Explorer\CICS_Explorer\plugins\com.ibm.cics.explorer.sdk_5.1.100.20130531-1713\targets\cics51\com.ibm.cics.server.doc\javadoc\javadoc\com\ibm\cics\server\DestinationSelectionErrorException.html
This is beyond the Windows path length limit.
When the path to unzip the files to was shortened, then there were no prompts for a password and the extract proceeded as expected.
This error occurs when using the native unzip functions within Windows XP, and also with other zip clients such as WinZip. Where a log file is produced, errors with the following form might be seen on the log:
Error: The system cannot find the path specified.
Cannot create "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Install Files\Explorer\CICS_Explorer\Explorer_V5.1.1.0_RUN\CICS_Explorer\plugins\com.ibm.cics.explorer.sdk_5.1.100.20130531-1713\targets\cics51\com.ibm.cics.server.doc\javadoc\javadoc\com\ibm\cics\server\DestinationSelectionErrorException.html".
Resolving The Problem
When the unzip utility starts, it offers a default path and directory to unzip the files to. Try changing the path length to a shorter path (like. c:\Explorer). If this is successful, experiment with how much path from root can be included. If you try to cut and paste the unzipped install folder to the original subdirectory path that was too long you will be unable to access the files that had caused the password prompt and will get a path length error.
Related Information
[{"Product":{"code":"SSGMGV","label":"CICS Transaction Server"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":"Explorer","Platform":[{"code":"PF035","label":"z\/OS"},{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"5.1;4.2;4.1;3.2;3.1","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB35","label":"Mainframe SW"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSBDYH","label":"IBM Explorer for z\/OS"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":" ","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB35","label":"Mainframe SW"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSGMGV","label":"CICS Transaction Server"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":" ","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB35","label":"Mainframe SW"}}]
Product Synonym
CICS/TS CICS TS CICS Transaction Server
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Document Information
Modified date:
14 February 2023
UID
swg21641485