It used to be pretty easy to disable the built-in zip file support. Under Windows XP, you just excuted:
regsvr32 /u %WINDIR%\system32\zipfldr.dll
I have struggled constantly with disabling the built-in support under Vista and Windows 7. Most solutions I have tried just don't work. Finally, I have been able to accomplish this under both Vista and Window 7…
Here is how to disable zip support for Windows Vista:
Open Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID and delete the following keys:
On 64-bit systems, you'll also need to navigate to delete the two previous keys under the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID as well.
Restart Windows.
The process to disable zip support for Windows 7 is similar to Vista in terms of deleting the same registry keys. But due to additional built-in protections, you must first change ownership of the keys to your user account, which also must be an administrative account.
Open Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID and perform steps 3-7 for each of the two keys:
Right-click on the key and select “Permissions…”. Click “Advanced” and then the “Ownership” tab.
Select your user account from the list.
Check the box next to “Replace owner on sub-containers and objects”. Click “OK”.
In the “Security” tab, select your user account and grant Full Control. Click “OK” to apply the permissions settings.
Delete the registry key.
On 64-bit systems, you'll also need to perform steps 3-7 for the two previous keys under the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID as well.
Restart Windows.