Double-clicking files in the Finder
You may find some stubborn files that do not open Expander when double-clicked - even when the format is “assigned” to Expander in the File Mapping preferences. You can force the assignment by selecting the file in the Finder and then selecting “Get Info” from the File menu. In the “Open With” section, choose StuffIt Expander as the preferred application. Once selected, click the “Change All…” button. Conversely, if you would prefer to use a different program when you double-click a particular file format, select the file in the Finder and then select “Get Info” from the File menu. In the “Open With” section, choose your preferred application from the list or select “Other…” at the bottom of the menu. Once selected, click the “Change All…” button.
Conversely, if you would prefer to use a different program when you double-click a particular file format, select the file in the Finder and then select “Get Info” from the File menu. In the “Open With” section, choose your preferred application from the list or select “Other…” at the bottom of the menu. Once selected, click the “Change All…” button.
No Drag Window
StuffIt Expander “remembers” the state of the Drag Window when the application was last closed. If you close the Drag Window, then quit the application, the next time you launch Expander, the Drag Window will be hidden. To see the Drag Window again, just launch Expander and select “StuffIt Expander” from the Window menu.
Expansion Errors
Sometimes files fail to expand. Either StuffIt Expander launches, then immediately quits as if nothing happened, or there is an error similar to one of the following: "Error -39 Unexpected End of File...", "This is not a complete file...", "This file is not in the right format..."
Some possible problems and solutions:
Disk Problems: Make sure your system is healthy. Disk errors and incorrect permissions can cause problems reading and writing files. As part of your regular periodic system maintenance, you should check your disk for errors and incorrect permissions.
Damaged Files: If downloaded from the Internet, it is possible that the file was damaged when posted, or damaged when downloaded. It is also possible that the download did not complete successfully. If you can, check the size of the original posted file in bytes (sometimes referred to as the "byte count") and compare that to the file you downloaded. If they do not match, then your downloaded file is probably incomplete or damaged. Try downloading the file again, perhaps choosing a different time of day or, if available, a different download site (or "mirror site"). Before re-downloading you may want to try emptying you Web browser's cache to make sure you are getting a new copy of the file.
Incorrect Format: If StuffIt Expander gives an message that says the file is not in the right format, this may indicate the file is damaged and it is worth trying the suggestions above. However, it may also mean the file was compressed, encrypted, or encoded in an unusual format that StuffIt Expander does not recognize. Look at the extension (the last few letters of the filename) and compare that to the list of formats supported by Expander. If the extension is not in the list, see if you can find out what the format is. If you think it's a packaging format that StuffIt Expander should support, then let us know...New formats and variations are being created all the time.
The file is already expanded: The file may already be expanded but your machine may not have an application program that can open or edit the file. You may need to have information from the party that provided the file to know how to use it. If you do not have the appropriate application you will need to obtain it by searching the web or a local software store. You can try double-clicking the expanded file. If that doesn't help, you can try opening it by dragging and dropping onto the icons of applications that you do have installed. If you believe it is a picture, you could try dragging it onto your Web browser's icon or a picture viewer. If it's a word processing document, you could try your word processor's icon.
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