Download free archivers for your computer. File compression
With the current volume of files on the Internet, it is very important to be able to quickly work with them. To do this, it is necessary that they have a small volume and be kept together. In this case, a compressed archive is suitable, which allows you to store files in one folder, while reducing their weight. In this article we will look at programs that can compress files and decompress them.
Programs that can compress, decompress and perform other actions with archives are called archivers. There are many of them, and each differs in its functionality and appearance. Let's figure out what kind of archivers exist.
Of course, the most famous and one of the most used archivers is WinRAR. A huge number of people work with this software, since it has a lot of advantages and can do almost everything that any other archiver can do. The compression ratio of files via WinRAR sometimes reaches 80 percent, depending on the file type.
It also has additional functions, such as encryption or recovery of damaged archives. The developers also thought about security, because in WinRAR you can set a password for a compressed file. The advantages of the program also include SFX archives, sending archives by mail, a convenient file manager and much more, while the disadvantages are a limited number of days of using the free version.
7-Zip
The next candidate on our list is 7-Zip. This archiver is also popular among users and it has a lot of useful additional functions. There is support for AES-256 encryption, multi-threaded compression, the ability to test for damage, and much more.
As in the case of WinRAR, the developers did not forget to add a little security and included setting a password for the archive in the functionality. Among the disadvantages, the complexity stands out, which is why some users may not understand the principles of operation, but if you figure it out, the software can turn out to be quite useful and almost irreplaceable. Unlike previous software, 7-Zip is completely free.
WinZip
This software is not as popular as the previous two, but it also has many advantages that I would like to note. The most important difference of this archiver is that it is designed as if the user could be a complete stranger to it. Everything in it is done as conveniently and beautifully as possible, but the developers also took care of additional functions. For example, changing the size (not volume) of an image, adding a watermark, converting files to *.pdf and the most interesting thing is working with social networks and email to send archives. Unfortunately, the program is not free and has a very short trial period.
J7Z
J7Z is a simple, easy-to-use compressed file program with just a few extra features. The most useful of them include choosing the compression level and, of course, encryption. Another advantage is that it is free, but the developers did not add the Russian language to it.
IZArc
This software is also not as well known as its analogues above, but it has a lot of additional functions added by developers during updates. One of these functions is converting archives to another format, and in addition to them, you can convert disk images. The program also has encryption, support for self-extracting archives, many formats, setting a password and other tools. The only disadvantage of IZArc is that it lacks full support *.rar without the possibility of creating such an archive, but this defect does not greatly affect the quality of work.
ZipGenius
As with previous software, the program is known only in narrow circles, but has a colossal number of additional features. ZipGenius does everything IZArc can, except changing the type of archives and images. However, in IZArc, like many other archivers, there is no possibility of creating a slide show from pictures, unpacking for burning, or viewing the properties of the archive, which is available in this software. These features make ZipGenius a little unique compared to other archivers.
PeaZip
This archiver is one of the most convenient due to its appearance, which is similar to Windows Explorer. It has a lot of useful features, even those that provide security. For example, a password generator that will allow you to create a reliable key to protect your data. Or a password manager that allows you to store them under a specific name to make it easier to use when entering them. Thanks to its versatility and convenience, the program has a lot of advantages and almost no disadvantages.
KGB Archiver 2
This software is the best in terms of compression ratio among the others. Even WinRAR cannot compare with it. This software also has the ability to set a password for the archive, self-extracting archives, etc., but it also has disadvantages. For example, it has been working with the file system for a very long time, plus it has not had updates since 2007, although it is not losing ground even without them.
That's the entire list of programs for compressing files. Each user will have their own taste, but it depends on the goal you are pursuing. If you want to compress your files as much as possible, then KGB Archiver 2 or WinRAR will definitely suit you. If you need a tool with maximum functionality that will help replace many other programs, then ZipGenius or WinZip will come in handy. But if you simply need reliable, free and popular software for working with archives, then there is no equal to 7-ZIP.
On this page you can download the best archiver programs - quickly and completely free. The software has been tested for the absence of virus code and will not harm the security of your computer or laptop. Using archivers, you can compress data into one archive file for compact storage or easy transfer. If necessary, unpacking files is also not difficult.
7-zip
At the moment, this utility is one of the most powerful in the list of free archivers. 7-zip is chosen for both home and commercial use. There is no need to register for the program or pay for it.
List of features and benefits
One of the main advantages of 7-zip is the highest compression ratio. The program supports a huge number of archiving/unzipping formats: TAR, CAB, BZIP2, ZIP, RAR, 7z, etc. For the last specified format, self-extracting is possible.
After installation, the utility is integrated into Windows Explorer (any version). The program works in 87 languages of the world, and therefore is popular not only in our country. In order to significantly speed up the process of information compression, 7-zip uses several threads simultaneously.
(opens in a new tab)
WinRAR
Another free and very powerful archiver program is WinRAR. One of the advantages is support for a wide variety of popular file archive formats. The utility will automatically recognize the format and then offer the most optimal compression option. Unpacking archives occurs safely and quickly.
Advantages and features of WinRAR
WinRAR is capable of restoring damaged archives and creating multi-volume and self-extracting archives. It works with encrypted/password-protected archives. The number of files it archives is almost unlimited.
The list of other advantages of the program includes: support for dragging and dropping files, full support for the NTFS file system.
IMPORTANT! On our website you can download the software for free. After 40 days of using the trial version, WinRAR will offer you to purchase a license to access all features of the program.
(opens in a new tab)
CoffeeZip is a high-quality archiver that can be used on Windows OS as the main one. This program is integrated into the Windows context menu, that is, it allows you to carry out basic operations directly from Explorer. Another advantage of this tool is that it is free to distribute.
IZArc is a high-quality archiver program with a clear and easy-to-use interface. IZArc is a prominent representative of the latest generation of archivers that work with any format, quickly compress and decompress data, while spending a minimum amount of operating system resources.
Bitser– a prominent representative of the line of free archiving programs. This application is primarily characterized by the high speed of the data archiving and unpacking procedure.
Explzh– an excellent free archiver that is incredibly popular. This development from Ponsoftware quickly won the love of users all over the world due to its versatility, versatility and efficiency.
Hamster Free Zip Archiver– an excellent archiver for novice PC users. It features an attractive, friendly and simple interface, a basic set of options, which are quite enough to work with all types of archives. Hamster is distributed free of charge and is quite popular software.
Bandizip is a new free archiver that is compatible with most archive formats that exist today. This tool is distinguished by its simple multilingual interface, speed and high compression ratio.
Chinese free archiver, very similar to the paid WinRAR. It can do everything you need to compress any number of files.
Attention! The description below of working with the program refers to an earlier version: HaoZip 2.3.6832
Everything that is done is done in China :)! This allusion to the theme of a well-known proverb perfectly reflects the unprecedented rise in the productive capacity of the Celestial Empire.
Today there is practically no industry in which China does not represent its products. True, many are very wary of it, since very often it is not of very high quality. However, every year the Chinese industry is improving and sometimes produces quite good things.
Today I will tell you about a rather interesting development by Chinese programmers, which indicates that not only Japan and America can produce good software. I present to your attention the archiver HaoZip.
It is notable, first of all, for the fact that it attempted to recreate the functionality and even the interface of another well-known paid package - WinRAR. Naturally, a complete copy could entail serious liability, so the developers deliberately changed some things, but in essence, anyone who is used to using WinRAR will very quickly get used to the new program.
Below is a comparison table of both archivers:
Comparison of the HaoZip archiver with the paid analogue WinRAR
As you can see, the only difference between these two archivers is that WinRAR uses a proprietary compression algorithm (RAR) by default, while HaoZip works with open formats ZIP, 7Z and TAR. In addition, the free analogue includes a number of additional functions for working with files: an image converter, group file renaming and MP3 audio merging.
Installing HaoZip
I suggest installing HaoZip to be able to clearly see the high qualifications of Chinese programmers. Here we have several options. The fact is that the latest versions of the program are released only in English and Chinese.
The official Russian localization is one beta behind the current one. This is not very critical, however, if you like to use only the newest versions of software, then you should install the English version of HaoZip, or search for localizers on the Internet.
We will not look for the dubious happiness of getting an unknown how to make a Russified assembly of version 2.4, but will install the official Russian-language release of HaoZip 2.3.6832. To do this, run the installer from the downloaded archive and follow the wizard’s instructions. Upon completion of the installation, a window will appear in front of you in which you can make basic settings for the program:
Here you can choose which types of archives to associate HaoZip with, as well as enable/disable integration of the archiver into the operating system shell. To save the settings, just click the “Ok” button, after which you can launch the program’s working window:
Interface and work with HaoZip
As you can see, the HaoZip interface is very similar to WinRAR’s:
By default, the HaoZip window is divided into three parts (as opposed to only two in WinRAR): the actual file list, a folder tree for navigation, and detailed information about the selected file or directory.
However, this is not the only option for displaying data! In the “View” menu you can set a two-panel view (in the manner of a file manager), as well as enable/disable additional navigation panels and change the presentation of the file list. But more on that a little later, but now I suggest creating an archive using HaoZip.
Adding files and folders to the archive
To do this, you can either select the desired folder(s) in the list of files, and then click the “Add” button in the program interface, or use the context menu:
The context menu seems to me to be a more convenient way, especially since its items are practically no different from similar functions in WinRAR. The only difference is the format of the archive created by default (see screenshot above).
After clicking the "Add" button or selecting a similar archive creation function from the context menu, we will see the following dialog box:
The interface of the archive creation window is almost completely identical to WinRAR’s. Here we also indicate the name of the archive, select its format (we have the ability to create three types of archives, unlike two in the paid analogue), compression method and, if necessary, additional archiving parameters. You can complete the settings here, or you can continue by going to other tabs of the window.
So, for example, in the “Password” tab, you can set your own code for opening the archive, in “Files” you can set a filter for certain types of files that should not/should be included in the archive, and in “Algorithms” you can set a more progressive compression method .
By clicking the “Ok” button, we initiate the creation of an archive with the specified parameters:
Here, as in WinRAR, we have the opportunity to enable background operation, pause, or even cancel the compression process. What is typical is that when using HaoZip you can achieve a higher degree of compression than in its paid counterpart (however, for this you will have to tinker with the “Algorithms”):
Extracting files from an archive
Now let's look at the reverse process - extracting files from the archive. Here, again, you can use either the interface of the program itself or the context menu, which is identical to WinRAR’s:
The context menu allows you to quickly and without unnecessary dialog boxes extract files (the items “Extract to current folder” and “Extract to “folder name...””). If we use the “Extract” button or the “Extract to...” menu item, then we will see a dialog box for unpacking the archive:
Here you can set the path to save the extracted files, specify the mode for updating files in an existing directory, and activate some additional features. After this, all you have to do is click the “Ok” button and wait until the files are unzipped.
Until now, we have looked at HaoZip in the context of its similarity to WinRAR, but it has many of its own features. More about them...
As mentioned above, the Chinese archiver can work in two-panel mode, like file managers:
You can activate this mode in the “View” menu or by pressing F9. In this form it is very convenient to copy and move files between different folders. In the same menu we can configure the display properties of files and folders, as well as enable/disable additional navigation panels.
The following menu also provides us with quite a lot of functions that were missing in WinRAR:
Additional features
In the "Tools" menu you will find tools that are usually found in file managers. For example, converting image formats, calculating checksums of a selected file or folder, batch renaming files, batch text replacement in TXT, HTML, PHP, INI, REG and other file types, as well as merging audio files.
It’s also worth mentioning the convenient built-in image viewer:
Unlike WinRAR, it allows you to easily scroll through all the images in the archive without the need to unpack it, and also provides additional tools for zooming, panning, converting and printing images!
Archiver settings
The last menu we’ll look at is “Options”:
In addition to standard access to various settings, HaoZip, like WinRAR, allows the user to change the program's theme. The themes themselves are not included in the archiver by default, but they can be easily downloaded from the Internet.
To do this, you need to either go to the developer’s website (Options - Themes - Upload additional themes), or use a more convenient download form, which can be called up by clicking the button in the form of a square with a spectrum on the right above the file display panel (see screenshot above):
After this, a window will open in which you can install the skin you like by double-clicking on it, and, voila, we get a completely transformed beautiful archiver:
This feature may especially appeal to ladies, since it allows you to transform a dull interface into a extravaganza of colors, since elements from different themes can be combined (add icons from one theme, and color schemes from another)!
conclusions
HaoZip may appeal to the general public because it combines not only good functionality, but also a well-designed interface. If you need a powerful archiver, but you can’t afford paid WinRAR, feel free to install HaoZip and you won’t be disappointed;)!
P.S. Permission is granted to freely copy and quote this article, provided that an open active link to the source is indicated and the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny is preserved.
