7 Zip

Lucas North said:

Nar means No.
Program does need a 'makeover' though.  

Click to expand...

You can skin the program and update the icons it uses for the zip files. But I agree, it seriously needs a visual update

It works, I don't see the urge to screw with the interface. Many times it seems that program interfaces are changed just to say they've changed or are "new", not because it brings more functionality.

pietcorus2 said:

Very good software ...........much better then WinRAR !

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that. Occasionally I've run into problems opening zip files with 7-Zip, but WinRAR succeeded. And that also happens vice-versa as well, so it's good (for me) to have both.

Never had problems with 7-Zip , WinRAR is not easy with the contextmenu , icons everywhere you dont need them.............

pietcorus2 said:

Never had problems with 7-Zip , WinRAR is not easy with the contextmenu , icons everywhere you dont need them.............

Click to expand...

Yep, so far 7-Zip has worked fine for me. While some say RAR format will make slightly smaller files, I didn't see all that much difference. Since ZIP format is universal all over the world, I stick to that. Also, Windows has added RAR extraction capability, not to mention that 7-Zip does as well, I don't really have any need for WinRAR. One less application to have around...

I use both 7-zip and WinRAR plus a countless of others like LHArc, PKZip/PKUnzip, PKARC, ARJ, ARC itself but the later are command line only. Zip was only created because Phil Katz infringed on the ARC copyright so PKZip was born. I know for Android packages, only 7-zip can open and add/replace the files in it which WinRAR cannot do. The other thing is remember WinRAR is commercial software while 7-zip is completely free. WinRAR is better at decompressing .cab files than 7-zip which will always complain at the end. Haven't seen Windows able to extract .cab files yet. One bad thing about 7-zip for adding password protection is that you can't do it after the .7z file is created and you have to do add to archive first and then add the files to do it.

gunrunnerjohn said:

I don't see the urge to screw with the interface.

Click to expand...

Me neither! PeaZip changed to a modern UI, it looks like crap!

Lucas North said:

Nar means No.
Program does need a 'makeover' though.  

Click to expand...

Which program?

What are the use cases for which WinRAR is the only solution?

gunrunnerjohn said:

Yep, so far 7-Zip has worked fine for me. While some say RAR format will make slightly smaller files, I didn't see all that much difference. Since ZIP format is universal all over the world, I stick to that. Also, Windows has added RAR extraction capability, not to mention that 7-Zip does as well, I don't really have any need for WinRAR. One less application to have around...

Click to expand...

Thing is I bought a lifetime WinRAR subscription at a time when WinZip dominated everything and I wasn't impressed by their monopoly at all. And since already I bought it and paid for it, I still use it. Especially when 7-Zip doesn't always cut it. And as mentioned up above, WinRAR also makes it easier to save passwords. I have about 40 of them saved & archived in there as we speak.

And even though Windows now has built-in zip capability, I still prefer to use 3rd party software whenever possible.