Archiving and compressing files allows you to combine multiple files into one and also to reduce the overall filesize. Fast, free, and flexible, 7-Zip is now the de facto open-source archiver. It can handle almost any archive format (not least of which is its own highly effective 7z format), and is a well-established and stable program.
ZIP has long been the industry standard compressed archive format. PKZip and WinZip were among the first to cash in, and they're still taking advantage of their names. Simply put, there is no good reason to buy an archiving program anymore.
When hard drive space and e-mail attachments were much more restrictive, there was a much bigger argument about which format was the most efficient. Formats like ACE and RAR emerged, and some are still lingering, but for most purposes, ZIP is now an acceptable (and universal) format to use. There are many, many free programs that support ZIP archives, including Windows itself from XP SP2 on, so why choose 7-Zip?
- Open-source, actively developed
- Familiar, simple interface
- Supports a plethora of other formats
- Opens disguised archives (like many .EXEs)
- CLI version
- Can create SFX archives and installers
- Offers several levels of compression
- Multilingual
- Fast and light on system resources
One of my favorite features of 7-Zip is its ability to create SFX archives and installers. Tutorials can be found on the net to help guide you through this process; it's a simple procedure with which you can customize and create your own silent installers for programs you install regularly at home or work.
It's true that it has an ugly GUI, but you can alter it if you wish, and if it really bothers you, try not to open the interface - exercise your right-clicking ability instead. After all is said and done, 7-Zip still belongs on every self-respecting PC in the world, both at home and at the workplace.
Download latest version:
7-Zip v4.65
7-Zip v9.10 beta 3
| Homepage: | http://www.7-zip.org/ |
| Supported OS: |  |
| Portable version: |  (Link) |
| 64-bit version: | |
| Active project: | |
| No strings attached **: | |
** No spyware, ads, nags, registration reminders, etc.
