Verdict
A compression program that is both easy to use and powerful
Review Rating:
Type: Shareware
Platform: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 7, Windows Vista 64-bit
Manufacturer: RarSoft
Size: 1.3MB
Number of Downloads: 129896
Price: $ 29.95
RAR files have several advantages over Zip files, and WinRAR is a powerful program for handling them. Creating a RAR file takes longer, but the compression is significantly better. An 870KB file compressed as a Zip reduces to 843KB, yet compressing as a RAR lowers it to a tiny 460KB.
The RAR format also supports multi-volume compression, allowing the splitting of a large file. A recovery record feature allows corrupt files to be accessed in order to salvage damaged data.
Files can be locked to prevent accidental tampering, and files of up to a massive 8,589,934,591GB can be handled compared to 4GB for a Zip file.
The Wizards that are included will help beginners create and unpack files, while advanced users have access to loads of features, such as the importing/exporting of file settings, file protection and archive conversion to SFX.
WinRAR also supports all the other common compression formats (RAR, ZIP, CAB, ARJ, LZH, ACE, TAR, GZip, UUE, ISO, BZIP2, Z and 7-Zip).
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
Save your money
IZArc and ZipGenius do all this for free.
http://www.izarc.org/
http://www.zipgenius.it/
Posted by Scott, 18 Aug 2005
WinRAR sets the standard
In the next version WinRAR is set to support 7z file creation, and Scott, neither of those programs offer the speed, features, or flexibility of WinRAR.
Most of my RAR files are 4.4G on DVD, and I've tested larger files for the heck of it with no problems. Like others, WinRAR offers so many options, and being a mature program and format, it's rock solid.
There is very little difference between 7z Ultra vs. RAR Best, and when creating solid archives, RAR wins out every time. 1G game file was compressed to 501M using 7z Ultra (7-Zip) and took 5:55, whereas WinRAR Best compressed the same 1G file to 505M but only took 1:52 ? less than two minutes, and less than a 1% difference in file size (on my 3.4GHz machine).
Run your own tests. And in the next version, Roshal has plans to support 7z creation, thus continuing WinRAR's tradition of giving users the best of both worlds.
Posted by Zaine Ridling, 24 Aug 2005
The rview says Free for personal use; but its shareware
So it ain't free?
Editor -- please make clear or review your facts
thanks.
Posted by Archie Lukas, 19 Feb 2010
Free for personal-use only?
WinRAR is great. Yes I know it. I also know it's shareware too.
Your newsletter mentioned this v3.92 is Free for personal-use.
How?
Posted by Rofy, 19 Feb 2010
Free for Personal Use - or $29 ??
It can't be both. You said it - please clarify !
Posted by Ken Bates, 20 Feb 2010
zipgenius & izarc? vs winrar
Agree, the others are free but only winrar can keep broken files while extracting
Posted by William, 31 May 2011