can't download after upgrade

(I suppose it is since the ugrade to Zen Cart 1.3.9c)

Instead of the download popup I get a 403 page:

"Forbidden
You don't have permission to access //pub/.NAME_TEMP_DIR/NAME_FILE.7z on this server.

DOMAIN_NAME "

The url is ok. I see that the permissions for the pub folder is 777 but there is in the ftp: lrwxrwxrwx (instead of drwxrwxrwx) and this is also for the public_html folder. I never remarked this before. I this is alright what does it mean?

Could there be somewhere a .htaccess file too much?
I already tried to eliminate one but then I get a page full of strange characters.

You'll need to add "7z" as a valid download file type in your /pub/.htaccess file.

I suggest you consider using "zip" instead of "7z" since "zip" is much more universally understood, and thus more likely easier to utilize by your customers.

I use 7z compression because zip mostly has a limited period.
Do you know a link for completely free zip?

But as I remember well before the upgrade 7z didn't give problems. We'll see.

My point was to zip as "zip" format instead of as "7z" format. Surely your 7zip software can compress in "zip" format?
Failing that, surely your business can afford an inexpensive license for a regular zip package?

Nevertheless, making the change I mentioned above will help you accommodate the 7z file type for downloading.

Well, I suppose it can afford that but it is working now after I added the extension in the .htaccess.

when you right-click on a file or folder, the options under 7-Zip include Add to Archive...
Using that, the first drop down is for the filename.
The second is for the Archive Format.
Zip is the third option down.