If you just want a links to the archiving software, here are the best choices
in my opinion.
Links open in new browser windows so you can download your choice and remain
here also.
JustZipIt
freeware
Winzip
Shareware-trial
WinRAR
shareware-trial
WinACE
shareware-trial
Freeware means free for personal use. Shareware-trial means the program should
be purchased after 30 days generally of trial use. If you do not purchase,
some trials may stop working or may include
" nag screens " until you do so.
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What is Zips or Archiving...
The process of compressing files
is not a new one. It traces it start back well into the days of
MS-DOS if not before. That is all a zip is, a compressed
version of a file or files. This is all done by a number of
shortcuts somewhat like a shorthand version of a message. There are
actually several different compression types around, however the zip
format is by far the most popular of them. The fact is, in
addition to the Zip compression format there are ARJ, LHZ, RAR,
Microsoft
compression as well as others. These zip or compression
utilities come in two basic types for Windows operation, the ones
that run resident on your system and those that work solely off file
associations. There are good points to both depending on what
you have excess of on your computer. If you have a lot of
processing power, and memory, you can afford to operate the type of
utility that runs all the time and maintains a standing compression
of files on your system. Netzip, ZipMagic are two examples of this
type of software. If you would rather not have another program
running all the time, then Winzip or WinRAR are is perhaps the better
choices. I
will be listing a download site below that has trial versions of the
programs or the website of the program. Many of these zip
utilities are not freeware. Some are shareware that needs to
be registered and should be purchased after a period of time. (see
the program for details) So regardless of the program you
choose, most cost about $30.00 (us dollars) to purchase.
However there are some freeware programs that are around from free
that can also deal with compressed files. My personal
choice for dealing with compressed files is
Winzip
, for several
reasons however it is not freeware and as such, legally speaking, you
would need to purchase
Winzip
if you use it more than 30 days.
I would suggest if you plan on using NetZip or PKZip for
Windows to also check with the Adaware or Spybot Search and Destroy sites as I
believe the last I heard both these programs included some spyware but that may
have changed since I last checked. See my Eyes on
Spies or Security 101 page for additional details on the spyware thing. There
are other
excellent shareware type zip management software as well such as
WinRAR
and
WinACE
but again legally speaking you should purchase a copy after 30 days of
trail use.
There is also a very nice freeware program or two out which deals with Zip
files, the best of
which I have seen is
JustZipIt.
Getting back to the zip issue. Needless to
say most of the Windows Zip compression utilities are self extracting
and installing programs. (to work without a zip utility on
your system to install them. However once install most use the
assocation to be the default program that opens any file with the ZIP
extention.
It should be noted at this point however that if you are using Windows XP, it
has a built in Zip extractor function. As far as I know personally it just
extracts zip files and displays the contents. It does not create zips and
offers limited options as far as extracting the contents of a zip file.
During the install process some have option
settings that should be observed and selected. Most work well
on the default settings, but some options must be selected between
two choices. For example, Winzip offers both a Wizard and
Classic interface for a user. I prefer the Classic myself. It
should be noted when downloading a zip utility, you should retain the
install file on your system. The reason for this is that if
you choose or have need of re-installing it will much easier to do
so. It also allows perhaps the best way to reset some of the
options such as the user interface by re-installing the
program. The use of most zip utilities is about the same.
You generally can seek out the file that is compressed with My
Computer or Windows Explorer and by clicking on it start the
compression utility you are using. Then open the file and most
will list the compressed files contained in it. Then go to
extract, or unpack, or some simular option and it will generally ask
what folder to extract the contents into the full files. Some
offer to run an install routine if that is desired.At this point it
should be noted, many of these utilities have a provision to virus
scan the compressed file either automatically or by command in the
program. Given the number of different anti virus programs
available the command and path to the antivirus program used for a
given set up needs to be entered. Most have built in help
files to assist you with that selection and set up as well.
Some programs such as Winzip will also allow you to run other
extraction routines also within the Winzip interface such as ARJ,
LHZ, and ARC formats. Some also support UUE (Radix 64)
conversion. As far as making a compressed file, it is not a complex
process either. In Winzip for example one would start Winzip,
(from a system tray shortcut or desktop shortcut) and then select
NEW. Then select the folder the zip is to be made in, then
provide it with a name, (without extention as it will always be named
zip) and then select the files to add to that zip. You can
select them withwild cards or clicking on each file name either one
at a time and clicking add, or, if you hold the Control (CTL) key
while clicking on a file names one at a time, you can then add
several at a time. With a little practice it is fairly easy to
get to the point of having excellent results. Since I am
speaking in the most general of terms, you will need to do a bit of
trial and error testing yourself given the fact there are about 40 to
50 different compression programs available. What you can expect
to see however using a compression program such as these are things
like, up to 75% reduction in file size on things like text document
files. (that means a 4mb text would be about 1mb after being
compressed.) Compressing the files does not remove or compress
the file(s) on your system, it makes a copy of it for transmission or
long term storage. It can be highly useful for backup purposes
of data, and most programs allow for password protected encyption of
data as well. Often Winzip or other such programs prove VERY
useful in transfering files between two non-networked computers via
diskettes, since it is very possible to Span diskettes in the
compression product with many of these programs. This would
then allow a program far larger than the storage of the diskette to
be transfered, and of course done so in most cases with about 33 to
50 % of the diskettes used for such a transfer. With all of
this it is pretty easy to see why the process of zipping or
compressing files is a worth while operation to master. The
truth is most program installs are done within the zip format, but it
is done with the zipped group of files to be converted to a self
extracting zip file, which simply means it loads a one time use
version of the compression program into the file with the compressed
files, so that the program can then extract the needed data.
It works well for such things as backup of data, even making master
backups that can be restored back in sections, or folder by folder.
Below I will include a few links to download sites for Zip
utilities. Some will be free, some will be trial
versions. I leave it to you to decide which best suits your
needs. All should open into new browser windows so you will
remain here or you can close this window once you get to the download
site.
Newer Stuff
As far as my recommendations about Zip Utilties for use with Windows based
systems, my first choice is still Winzip however I again stress it is not
freeware.
The next choice in my opinion is WinRAR but again it is not freeware. Of the
freeware Zip utilities I have seen the
JustZipIt
program seems the best to me.
There may be other choices out there as I have to admit I have not tried them
all by any means. Much of the reason for what you use in the end depends on
just how much you do with the contents of Zip files. If you
do little more than extract a zip file to install a program the freeware
program should do nicely for you. If you are not worried about the security
risk you can even use the built in WinXP zip interface. If you make zips, add
and update zip files, or want a higher level of security when handling zip
files, you will want Winzip or WinRAR from what I have seen personally.
For those that have issues with the built in zip functionality in Windows XP
here is something you may be interested in. I highly recommend this for
security reasons if nothing else. It also ends the conflict between Windows
handling the zip files and programs like Winzip doing so.
To turn off built in zip in XP.
Naturally, Microsoft hasn't provided any easy way to turn this feature off. I
would also suggest prior to doing this registry edit you set a restore point in
Windows XP in the event you wish to once again have the Zip support enabled.
You may wish to also make note of this fact in the title for the restore point
so you will not accidently turn this feature on or off by mistake.
Here's how to do it:
-
Select Run from the Start Menu.
-
type the following line seen in bold type at that prompt.
-
regsvr32 /u %windir%\system32\zipfldr.dll
-
click ok when you have done so.
The change will take effect immediately, but you may have to restart Windows
for all traces of the built-in ZIP support to disappear. Keep in mind to reset
a roll back point before and after doing this. You will want the rollback
(restore point) set if you mess up on the registry edit, and one set after you
find the edit successful and have your Zip software handling the zip files. If
you roll back prior to the registry edit you will again see the zip function in
Windows Explorer active.
Here is supposed to be a script to undo the removal of the zip function if you decide you want it back.
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/restorezipfolder.reg
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