Why Use File Compression Software?

Twenty years ago, it was unimaginable that people would have 500GB hard drive computers and much less imaginable that they would fill them up and still need more computer storage space. Yet, the growing popularity of digital media files and the concept of a paperless society has made hard drive space easier to exhaust and more valuable than ever.

Files compression programs are handy software applications designed to make your digital world of files and folders just a little easier to organize and manage. File compression programs like WinZip and WinRAR take large files and folders, which have a tendency to take up a lot of hard disk space, and condense them into smaller, easier to manage archives. Archives can even be transferred to CDs, DVDs or flash drives for easy back-up of your family vacation photos or important work documents.

All file compression software supports compression for common file types and extensions including Word DOC(X), Excel XLS(X); photo JPEG, GIF, TIF, BMP; music MP3, WMA, text TXT; executables EXE, PDF, rich text RTF, PowerPoint PPT and more.

One of the greatest benefits of using a good file compression program like WinZip is emailing large qualities of information and data in one neat little ZIP package. And since a WinZip ZIP extraction program is already installed on most Microsoft computers, your friends, family and colleagues don’t have to download any additional software to extract your zipped files.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to file compression software, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which file compression program is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

What to Look for in File Compression Software

Both the concept of file compression and using file compression software may seem daunting and complicated, but there are very few aspects of this type of software that is truly difficult. And usually the average user will never need to know or use the real powerhouse capabilities of file archiving. Good file compression software uses an intuitive interface combined with powerful features to make the process as painless as possible.

The best file compression software needs to make the user feel comfortable and at ease with their product, and at the same time achieve the best compression ratio possible to conserve hard drive space. All file compression software should include the ability to archive and extract ZIP files, it should include encrypted password protection, furnish and maintain comment functionality and test the integrity of an archive. The best file compression programs also include drag and drop functionality and Wizards for inexperienced users.

The following is the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate file compression software:

Features
File compression software should include a number of basic and advanced features accommodating users with all levels of compression experience. Most compression software works in conjunction with Windows Explorer allowing for archiving and extraction using simple right-click. Other features should include the creation of self-extracting archives, multiple volume support and compression ratio display. Some file compression software also includes the ability to convert archives to other archive formats and batch convert or extract.

Compression
The reason for using file compression software is to save space; therefore, a file’s compression ratio is very important. Each product’s compression capabilities were tested by compression using a number of common file types to ZIP, they were then compared them side by side. Click here to see the results of our file compression test.

Compression Formats
All file compression should be able to compress files into a ZIP archive, the most common and widely used archive. Most compression software supports compression for other popular, open-source archive types like 7z and TAR. However, proprietary formats like RAR, ALZip and ACE are not usually supported for compression.

Extraction Formats
It’s quite possible to argue that an archiver is only as impressive as its list of supported extraction formats. The best file compression software should have the ability to extract all popular archives and files, like ZIP, RAR, ISO, TAR, as well as a number of smaller, lesser-known formats. Simply, the more formats it supports, the more compatible the file compression program is.

Ease of Use
Just the sound of jargon like compression, extraction, ZIP and archive are enough to give inexperienced and even some experienced computer users hives. The best file compression software should be extremely easy to use incorporating drag and drop functionality and Wizards.

Help and Support
All file compression software should include a comprehensive, searchable, built-in user guide explaining the various features and functions of the program. Additional support should include online help, active forums and some way to contact technical support.

For the most popular, easy to use, comprehensive and overall best file compression software on the market see, WinZip.