archiving

The misleadingly named PIM is an adequate, but uninspiring archiving tool amid a sea of more capable multifunction utilities. However, what this program lacks in features, it makes up for in the power of its compression algorithm. It doesn't offer much in the way of an interface, relying on window menu items or an incomplete set of shortcut keys to access its functions.

PIM delivers on its promise of creating smaller compressed files (compared with a ZIP file), using its proprietary format, and it opened ZIP files as expected. Its minimal options/settings window lets you easily associate the … Read more

The file compression field is tightly packed, and this freeware app offers little to get users to switch. Cyber Archive's very basic button and file list interface is easy to learn and operate. The few logically placed commands make it easy to quickly remember program operation even when it's used infrequently. That's important as the publisher neglected to supply a Help manual.

Cyber Archive compresses any kind of file. So do most archivers. The app lets users drag and drop files to the interface to easily construct archives. But so do most archivers. You can easily select … Read more

This file compression tool offers the convenience of previewing an entire file before extracting it, and it does so free of charge.

Zipeg for Windows has a very simple interface that will appeal to all users. The minimal command buttons allow you to open files, and extract and preview them. There is also an Options button that lets you select the file you would like the program to open by default, and also where to place the destination file. When we opened a compressed file, the file's contents were displayed in the main window. Hovering the mouse over each … Read more

One day after Virginia Tech released thousands of documents solely to families of victims in last year's massacre, the university's student newspaper made them public.

On Thursday, the Collegiate Times posted the documents, which include e-mails sent from the account of gunman Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 fellow students and faculty members and then killed himself on April 16, 2007.

The nearly 14,000 pages also include the police report on the massacre, e-mails from faculty sent to fellow professors and to Cho, a 2005 harassment complaint against Cho, post-massacre clean-up plans, administration plans on how to present … Read more

Novice-friendly but with features for the expert and free archiving tools rarely cover all those bases, but PeaZip and PeaZip Portable hit back-to-back home runs.

Operating PeaZip is as easy as dragging files. Drop a ZIP file on the interface and PeaZip goes into decompression mode. Drop a regular file and it opens the archiving screen. Well-labeled buttons and simple functions make both processes quick and painless. Adding files and folders is also quickly accomplished using function buttons and traditional file browse tools.

Novice users will be able to use default settings to create well-made archives. Experienced users will like … Read more

UPDATED: Clarified the end result of AppCompactor on a standard program.

When you gotta go, advanced users should strongly consider using AppCompactor to stay mobile. Just introduced by John T. Haller of PortableApps, this portable power user's right-hand man crushes program files, often shaving 50 percent off the size of a disk.

AppCompactor melds 7-Zip and UPX to compress and archive DLLs, EXEs, JARs, and other files essential for running any program into a package that doesn't need to be unarchived to run. Programs that have been compacted run smoothly from a flash drive or other on-the-go storage … Read more

With the stock market tumbling in what could be a significant downturn, companies will no doubt look for ways to cut costs and save cash.

Outsourcing infrastructure operations could be one way to do that, says Timothy Eades, chief executive of Everyone.net, which provides hosted archiving and synchronization services for small and medium-size businesses. Specifically, paying a monthly subscription for someone else to handle e-mail archiving and other necessary infrastructure operations rather than doing them in-house could be a solution, he argues.

In preparation for the downturn companies will likely restructure their capital expenditures and migrate more to software-as-a-service … Read more

This file-compression tool offers all the bells and whistles required by power users, while keeping the program easy enough for novices. Quick Zip's button and pull-down menu helps users by ghosting unavailable commands until they're applicable. The multipane interface makes it easy to see files, folders, and archive properties. An extensive Help manual should give inexperienced users everything needed to be program power users.

Numerous options and methods to use this application means a steep learning curve for those who want to master every feature. However, operating Quick Zip can be as easy as dragging files to the … Read more

ExtractNow could use a bit of sprucing up. The dead-simple and cheetah-quick installation brings you to an expanse of white that sits on top of four buttons. That's it. It's not an interface that sells the feature set, but it's the features that you're going to be most interested in.

The program should appeal to users who handle a high volume of archives, because all it does is extract archive contents. The four buttons, Settings, History, Clear, and Extract, lay out the basics. Click Settings and a window pops up to entice you with options. From … Read more