Download Winzip For Free

WinZip is the most popular and widely used file archiver and compressor for Microsoft Windows. Basic archiving works by taking a list of files, and their contents are concatenated sequentially into the archive. Other information such as the names and the lengths of the original files should also be contained in the archive for proper reconstruction when they are extracted later on. Developed by WinZip Computing, it uses PKware's PKZIP format while still retaining levels of support necessary for other archive formats such as RAR, ACE, and ARJ.

PKWARE founder Phil Katz originally created the ZIP file format, which he released in 1989. The ZIP format he designed was a more efficient compression software than the ARC that was the leading format at that time. The term "zip" was used deliberately to indicate that this compression format is faster than existing formats.

The ZIP format archives files by compressing each file separately. By compressing files separately, retrieval of individual files can be achieved without having to read through other data. New features that include latest compression and encryption methods have been added to upgrade ZIP archiving at present. Aside from WinZip, other software utilities are able to open, create, or modify ZIP files. These include BOMArchiveHelper, PicoZip, Info-ZIP, WinRAR, IZArc, and 7-Zip. In later versions of the Microsoft Windows Operating System namely the Windows XP and Windows Vista, ZIP files can be opened as compressed folders.

From version 6.0 until the version 9.0 users could get the latest versions for free. They just have to download WinZip and enter their original registration information. The upgrade is installed on top of the existing registered version. Starting with version 10.0, the free upgrade scheme was discontinued. At present, to get the latest version, one must purchase it at their online store. However, a free trial version is also available to customers for a 45-day evaluation period. Registered users of previous versions are offered the option to upgrade at 50% off the listed version 12.0 price. This offer was sent to registered users via e-mail. Registered users who were not able to get this email just have to enter pertinent information at the WinZip site and upgrade instructions will be sent through email. Free updates for users who plan to continue using their existing versions are given though. Before one buys and download WinZip latest version, one should follow the instructions in the online store in case one wishes to revert back to the previous version installed in one's computer.

The latest version of WinZip is version 12.0. Major enhancements in this version are primarily for better and faster compression, management, and sharing of JPEG files. Digital photos can now be compressed by 20 to 25% without experiencing loss of photo quality or data integrity. Photos can now be compressed directly from digital cameras with this version. After one transfers photos from the camera, users can still view the images at full size, rotate, resize, or delete photograph files without having to unzip them. Other features are the encryption features that allow customization of password and encryption types. User experience is also improved with the Smart View feature and a more intuitive interface.

Other products from WinZip that can be acquired at its online store is the E-mail Companion 2.0, Self Extractor, and Command Line. Users can choose from Standard and Pro versions, as well as single or multi-user versions. The E-mail Companion is targeted to users who regularly attach large files to their emails. Those who are concerned with file confidentiality will also benefit from the E-mail Companion. Aside from reducing the size of outgoing email attachments, the E-mail Companion also provides AES encryption to protect the information contained in the attachments. The encryption provided is password-based. E-mail Companion works well with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or Windows Vista Mail. There are no complicated steps to follow as the user will just have to attach the files and send the email, as the E-mail companion will automatically do the attachment compression. The software is fully integrated with Microsoft Office such that users can send compressed attachments directly from Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint. E-mail recipients do not need to have E-mail Companion as they can open and extract the zipped files with plain WinZip.

Self-Extractor 4.0 allows the creation of self-extracting Zip files. A self-extracting Zip file is an executable file containing the compressed file and a program to unzip the contents of the compressed file. Users just have to double click on the .exe file to run unzipping or extraction. Download time is minimized and this program also ensures that files are not separated during the compression and extraction processes. Features of Self-Extractor 4.0 are: support for JPEG, LZMA, WavPack compression, Unicode support, support for advanced compression methods, icon support, administrator options, support for advanced encryption, wizard driven, customization in creation of zip files, customization of software installations, ability to span multiple removable disks, can be invoked from the start menu's run dialog box, self-extractors for software installation, issue optional command after unzip, can be created with English or German messages, and can work with Windows Vista.

WinZip 12.0 users with valid licenses can download WinZip Command Line for free. This support add-on gives the user a command line interface without the usual graphical user interface. With this, users can automate repetitive tasks as command line options provide control on what WinZip will do. Key features of the Command Line are improved compression, support of zip operations including LZMA, JPEG, PPMd, BZip2, and WAVPACK compression, supports ability to designate password length and password character sets, storing of file level comments with Unicode characters, advanced zip file security, support for AES encryption, eliminates restrictions on file size and capacity, Unicode support for characters other than English in file names, blocks extraction and execution of dangerous files, storage and extraction of files with extended time stamps, documentation of options and commands in a help file for reference, and full compatibility with Windows Vista. This add-on will work with WinZip 12.0 whether one has the Standard or the Pro versions.