/me looks at last post date.

deleted

I can't think of any reason as to why someone should pay for this crapware. Don't get me wrong, it used to be good, but it's now a dead walking dino.

Going from pkzip-winzip-winrar-7-zip-peazip-freearc...

1. Too expensive
2. Proprietary, so you can't exactly trust the program.
3. Doesn't support as much as the others

7-zip is also very handy when running backup. F.eks one of my win scripts running in the background:

@ECHO OFF

set LogDate=%date%

time /T > D:\_bck\time.txt
set /P ftime= < D:\_bck\time.txt
set btime=%LogDate%_%ftime:~0,2%%ftime:~3,2%
set bck_priv="D:\_bck\%btime%_bck_pdaily.zip"

echo. >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt
echo. >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt
echo ============================================= >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt
echo ========= %btime% Start Of Daily Backup ===== >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt

"C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -mx=1 -tzip %bck_priv% C:\_pDaily

if errorlevel 1 GOTO :ERROR
GOTO :OK

:ERROR

echo ________ Daily Backup could not complete _________ >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt
echo ========== ERROR ====== ERROR ===== ERROR ============ >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt
Exit

:OK

echo ________________ Daily Backup OK _________________ >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt
echo =============== END OF DailyBackup =============== >> D:\_bck\backuplog.txt
Exit


It's not perfect but it does the job :-D

WinRAR is so expensive because somehow many people are unaware that 7zip exists.

Very useful. I have my own scripts I'm developing, like one that grabs all the newer files after the folder was created. Quite promising.

Just qouting this out of curiosity...


edit: Funny. Your name was "Ghostbreed". That's... fitting, somehow.

With all the hails toward 7zip (which I like as well), this is important to point out.
7z and rar are both solid compressions. If there is one error in the stream, all files included are lost!
With WinRAR you can add a few percentage recovery data, to cope with minor errors in compressed files. Any error in 7z-files makes you loose all of the content. Although you can also create classic zip files with 7zip, which allow for extracting all non-damaged files, it still doesn't feature any repair function. In my opinion that's pretty relevant when it comes to long-term archiving.

Nope. 2017. One and a half years in the future.

Valid point. However, while it does increase the size, these programs are mainly for compression and archiving, and you're never 100 % secure from unrecoverable files within the compressed file or the archived file itself.
Just a single bit flip because of some radiation, electromagnetic leakage, faulty harddrive et cet, could be enough to make the data corrupt.

Now, I've tried that in the past and even so some of my files got corrupt (I deem FAT32 and NTFS a bit unstable but that's really not the theme here.)

I would argue that taking backup + checksum of both the files and the archive on different HDD's is more important anyway. regardless, than having extra recovery bits inside the archive.

Because morons are still willing to pay for it.

I use two tools, 7-Zip, like most seem to, is very good for day to day use.

One poster said they liked the WinRAR interface, but only used the basics.
Why would you even open the full GUI, both WinRAR, and 7-Zip have context menus, to do basic functions.
Unless you want to view the contents, there's no need to use the full GUI.

The other tool I use is called Universal Extracter, which opens more archives than either WinRAR, or 7-Zip.
It's real power though is to open many types of installers, though it's not been updated, for a while, it still opens many packages, that no archiver can.

I'll add a link here, when I get home.
Original Site Universal Extractor v1.6.1, Released: 05/12/2010
<span class="bold">Universal Extractor | LegRoom.net</span>

This is what I have used, until today, Universal Extractor - Gora's Mod
<span class="bold">[Repak] Universal Extractor 1.9.16.202 - Installer Repacks - WinCert.net Forums</span>

Checking the old links provides two more recent alternatives, I will be trying
Universal Extractor - -=4lfre1re=-'s Mod [Tue Jan 12, 2016] which is a continuation of the Gora Mod
"Thanks to Gora and Ricktendo by his work in this program..."
<span class="bold">[Repack/Inno] Universal Extractor 1.9.22.209... - Repacks.NET</span>

and an alternative fork from the original source.
Universal Extractor v2.0.0 Beta 4 by Bioruebe [Released this on 24 Oct 2016]
<span class="bold">New Unofficial Version - 2.0.0 - Universal Extractor - MSFN</span>

Finally this russian Forum lists several more variants
<span class="bold">Universal Extractor (UniExtractor) - [95] :: Программы :: Компьютерный форум Ru.Board</span>

WinRAR is available free of cost for 40 days, hence it is a Trialware. After the trial period, it gives a continual boot-up or pop-up reminder message, which is surely annoying. But you can continue using this tool forever free of cost by saying NO’ to the paid version...and $30 is NOT "so expensive," ye olde skinflints!

As to why anyone would bother opening the console window when it has CONTEXT MENUS, I can't think of a less reasoned or less cogent query; only someone who has NO idea how to manage compressed archives, an how to maximize its MANY advantages in file management could possibly ask such s jejune question.

When you have the console window open, you cane rename, edit, or delete files in the archive. You can repair it, if repair is needed. You can change archive attributes and set new archiving parameters. These are only a FEW of the advantages offered by WinRAR when employing the console view. There are many other things you can do. If you don't understand these things, then you are too short for this ride; only BIG kids are allowed.

New account a few months ago, 0 rep...

The mind boggles, at how some of these old threads are discovered ... obviously discovered during some kind of search, and then the moment where they decide - must respond to that .... even though it is doubtful that was anything to do with their search.

Well, now it's been necroed and brought back from the slumber of the nearly dead, I guess I could add something to the thread, as it was before my time.

If WinRAR is indeed still shareware and around $30, then yes it does beg the OP's question.

It has been at least a decade or more since I used or investigated WinRAR, as all my RAR opening requirements are either provided by UnRAR or most often, 7-Zip.

Most downloads on the web, unless nefarious ones, tend to be ZIP or even 7Z in my experience, but maybe that' just concentric to me. I certainly have no need to compress to RAR, and guess it is mostly those pirating stuff, that often do compress to RAR. RAR is probably more reliable than ZIP and less likely to get corrupted, though 7Z is pretty reliable by all accounts and 7-Zip is totally free. RAR also have handy PAR files to help with corruption etc.

Anyway, WinRAR is certainly not redundant, and if I'm not mistaken, used with GOG's Offline Installers for the BIN files, so I guess in reality, plenty still use WinRAR and are happy to pay for it.