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10 Jun 2011 By ABradney-George

7-Zip: The Free File Compression Alternative

10 Jun

Want A Powerful File Compression Utility Without Having To Pay For It? 7-Zip Is One Of The Most Popular Open Source File Compressors Around, And Here We Look At Why.

File compression is a useful function for both backup and sharing options because it allows lots of data to be stored in a relatively small format. While WinRAR and WinZip are two of the most established utilities for file compression, Igor Pavlov's open source software 7-Zip is rapidly gaining popularity as a free and powerful file compression and extraction tool.

One of the biggest draw cards for 7-Zip is that it can be used on any computer, regardless of whether it is for personal use or a commercial organization, and it does not have to be registered like many freeware programs. There is a good range of format flexibility as well, with 7-Zip supporting the following file formats:

Compressing and extracting files - 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM
Extracting files only - ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DEB, DMG, FAT, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, VHD, WIM, XAR and Z.

The wide range of formats means that 7-Zip can easily be used in place of a paid file compression utility. It also features integration with Windows Shell, a file manager and localizations for 79 languages, making it stand out against other free options.

The other benefit of using this software for file compression is the high compression ratio it boasts for the 7z format. This filetype also has a self-extracting capability with 7-Zip and both 7z and ZIP files can be created with strong password encryptions.

When it comes to using a file compression utility, there are a range of products on the market to choose from. But considering compatibility, functions and additional features will make the task a lot easier, and 7-Zip is one that is definitely worth considering.