alternative to winrar?

[pcslookout]

Or, you know... they are using Newsbin:

http://www.newsbin.com/

Yeah true. Newsbin has a service just like Newsleecher supersearch! Possible but why would someone download it from newbin indexing service when it is easier to see people's comments on the other site. Now given I take them all with a grain of salt because I seen people plant misinformation before everywhere. You name it I seen it. The internet is ripe for that kind of activity now and in the future. Especially on stuff you are not sure if you should trust or not. That is why I always have a backup plan to check it out myself not just once. If anyone online actually thinks people takes their word for it and that is the end of it then I can't stop laughing.

 

[gsaldivar]

http://www.7-zip.org/

this.

 

[pcslookout]

Some files 7zip refuses to extract for some strange reason where winrar has no problems. Not sure why. Quite rare but seen it happen.

 

[lxskllr]

I like 7Zip. It's free, it works, and it compresses smaller than the competition.

 

[pcslookout]

I like 7Zip. It's free, it works, and it compresses smaller than the competition.

I do too the question is it faster and will it extract all files no matter how they were compressed.

 

[Leros]

I know I'm going against the crowd, but I like 7-zip.

 

[lxskllr]

I do too the question is it faster and will it extract all files no matter how they were compressed.

I don't know about speed. It's fast enough for my purposes. It's never failed to extract an archive for me. I use it on both Windows and Linux.

 

[pcslookout]

I don't know about speed. It's fast enough for my purposes. It's never failed to extract an archive for me. I use it on both Windows and Linux.

Someone did a benchmarks of winrar vs 7zip on another forum though I done my own. Winrar always seem to be a little faster. Not enough to really care though. Depends on the person. Have had first hand experience though where 7zip will not extract an archive. Winrar did it fine though.

Not sure what is up with that. I do think 7zip is faster in some things though because it uses at least dual core or even quad core processor power. Not sure if winrar does now. Believe so.

 

[lxskllr]

I don't know if it makes a difference, but I've started compressing everything in .7z format. That may be faster since it's native, and it definitely makes things smaller in the comparisons I've made. I don't have winrar installed to compare the speed of compressing .rar and .7z.

 

[pcslookout]

I don't know if it makes a difference, but I've started compressing everything in .7z format. That may be faster since it's native, and it definitely makes things smaller in the comparisons I've made. I don't have winrar installed to compare the speed of compressing .rar and .7z.

That is ok not a big deal. Don't expect you to compare it too. I just like to test stuff. If anyone out there had to say what format is more common though .rar or .7z what would most people's answer be ? Now of course this doesn't matter in all cases.

 

[lxskllr]

If I'm going for compatibility, I compress in .zip. Otherwise, if someone can't figure out how to download 7Zip, they don't deserve to open my archive :^D

 

[Dankk]

Hmm... not enough people recommending 7zip here.

Seriously though, use 7zip.

 

[pcslookout]

If I'm going for compatibility, I compress in .zip. Otherwise, if someone can't figure out how to download 7Zip, they don't deserve to open my archive :^D

Thankfully winrar can open 7zip files!

 

[pcslookout]

I can list some formats or compressed files 7zip can not extract at all no matter what you try to do.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd be interested in seeing that, or if you could upload an archive that 7Zip wouldn't open, I'd love to give it a try.

 

[Dankk]

I can list some formats or compressed files 7zip can not extract at all no matter what you try to do.

Cool man. I can too...

But, you know, not right now. I don't feel like it. :hmm:

 

[bruceb]

I have Winzip, Winrar and 7-Zip on the computer. If you do buy Winrar, it is lifetime free updates even to new version numbers. Winzip, on the other hand, charges for each major version, but not within same version number. All things considered, Winrar is relatively cheap.

 

[jkroeder]

I use the 7zip 9.xx betas and it works fine. I can't say I can really see a reason to use a nagware version of WinRAR or to even pay for it.

Although there are a couple of iffy things about 7zip.


If you try to extract a passworded archive but get the password wrong for whatever reason, it still leaves an empty version of the files you tried to extract behind. So when you try to re-extract the files, you have to tell 7zip to overwrite the empty files.


Another thing is with split archives, sometimes you MUST select the first file in the series to extract it properly. If you select file #006, for example, it may throw a CRC error at you.






Otherwise, if you simply need to extract files, another good utility I would recommend is ExtractNow. It's also free. extractnow.com

 

[Howard]

7z

 

[ch33zw1z]

I can list some formats or compressed files 7zip can not extract at all no matter what you try to do.

cool, then please do so.

7zip hasn't ever given me any problems that weren't PEBKAC related. It's an excellent FREE solution.

 

[an_89]

I too would suggest either PeaZip or 7Zip, both free and based on the same open source components.
JZip is based on the same components too, so I guess it would be equally fine, but seems a bit outdated as the last version is quite old.
PeaZip has some more features, while 7Zip is smaller, in my experience either fine enough to not return to WinRar.

 

[Modelworks]

Universal extractor
It extracts everything out there including exe files from installers.

For example if you download an exe file and are not sure it is safe one of the easiest things you can do besides a virus scanner is to use universal extractor to extract the exe. Most malware authors will take a legitimate exe file and compress it into another exe file with the malware. When the user runs it they see the program they expected run, but do not know about the malware they also just ran that was packed in with the other exe. Universal extractor can extract all the files back out so you can see if it is what it claims to be.


Another usage is if you just want the drivers from a setup program like for video drivers,without all the other components. Right click the exe and extract it.

http://legroom.net/software/uniextract

Formats

Archive Type Common File Extension(s)
7-zip archive .7z, .exe
ACE archive .ace, .exe
ARC archive .arc
ARJ archive .arj, .exe
ASpack compressed file .exe
BIN/CUE CD-ROM image .bin, .cue
bzip2 archive .bz2, .tbz2, .tar.bz2
CPIO compressed file .cpio
Debian package .deb
DiscJuggler CD-ROM image .cdi
Encoded files .b64, .uu, .uue, .xx,
.xxe, .yenc, .ntx
Gentee package .exe
gzip archive .gz, .tgz, .tar.gz
IMG floppy disk image .img
Inno Setup package .exe
Installer VISE package .exe
InstallShield Cabinet archive .cab, .1, .lib
InstallShield package .exe
ISO 9660 CD-ROM image .iso
KGB archive .kgb, kge, .exe
LZH compressed file .lzh, .lha
LZMA compressed file .lzma
LZO compressed file .lzo
LZW compressed file .Z, .tz, .tar.Z
LZX compressed file .lzx
MHTML file .mht
Microsoft Cabinet archive .cab, .exe, .imf
Microsoft Compiled Help file .chm
Microsoft compressed file .??_
Microsoft LIT e-book .lit
Microsoft Windows Help file .hlp
HTC NBH ROM image .nbh
Nero CD-ROM images .nrg
NSIS package .exe
Oasis Document Format (ODF) document .odt, .odp, .odg, .ods
Office Open XML (OOXML) document .docx, .pptx, .xlsx
Outlook Express mail archive .dbx
PEA archive .pea
RAR archive .rar, .001, .exe
Reflexive Arcade package .exe
RoboForm package .exe
RPM package .rpm
SetupFactory package .exe
SIS (SymbianOS) packages .sis
StuffIt packages .sit
TAR archive .tar, .tbz2, .tgz, .txz, .tz,
.tar.bz2, .tar.gz, .tar.xz, .tar.Z
UHARC archive .uha
UPX compressed file .exe, .dll
Windows Imaging Format image .wim
Windows Installer merge module .msm
Windows Installer package .msi
Windows Installer patch .msp
Windows Update Standalone patch .msu
Wise Installer package .exe
XZ compressed file .xz, .txz, .tar.xz
ZIP archive .zip, .jar, .xpi, .wz, .exe
Zoo archive .zoo

 

[bigboxes]

I use the evaluation version of WinRAR. If you right click (context menu) to extract you'll never see a nag screen. WinRAR just works and has lots of options. It's compatible with zip files and others. Haven't found a need to use anything else. It takes very little time to use with my quad-core processor.

 

[Homerboy]

I use the evaluation version of WinRAR. If you right click (context menu) to extract you'll never see a nag screen. WinRAR just works and has lots of options. It's compatible with zip files and others. Haven't found a need to use anything else. It takes very little time to use with my quad-core processor.

thats a great point that I forgot to point out. 99% of the time this is the method I do also. never even see the nag screen.

 

[gitano]

7zip only have a downside for me, cant make RAR files.

7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR are all the formats you can do on 7zip but not RAR :/