MagicArchiver

Transferring a large number of files is not an efficient course of action, if you don't compress them. Storing files into an archive has other benefits as well. For example, they will take up less disk space and they won't get corrupted. A fast and straightforward solution for compressing files is MagicArchiver. It allows you to create ZIP and 7Zip archives and it is capable of reading and extracting contents of numerous archive types, including RAR or ARJ, as well as contents from virtual image files.

MagicArchiver is absolutely free and it won't hinder you with any ads or messages to upgrade to a paid version. You can install it in a few moments, on Windows 2000 or any later edition. The application's hardware requirements are not higher than those of other archiving utilities and it does not ask for any additional tools or services.

The user interface has the same layout as a standard explorer window. All you have to do is load your data and hit a Save option to create a new archive, but you can perform many other tasks along the way. MagicArchiver allows you to import individual files or entire folders, which you can sort in a tree structure, on the left side of the interface, by clicking and dragging. Archives can be saved in ZIP or 7Z format, using a standard Save As dialog. It is also possible to password-protect the new archive and to burn a virtual image file on a disc.

If you open an existing archive, you can choose to extract all contents in a single run or to extract individual files, by clicking the appropriate option, on the program's toolbar or by clicking and dragging the files. What's more, the software places a search function at your disposal, so you can locate specific files within an archive. Besides looking for names or text, you may also constrain the searching process to a certain date range. An archive's properties can be viewed on a tabbed window, on which you can make a series of changes. The software allows you to set a different compression level, split archives into volumes and make various specifications to its ISO file system information and to its ISO date and time.