ZipGenius

ZipGenius benefits from the inclusion of Expert and Normal modes, which can be selected according to the user’s level of ability. Context menu entries make it easy to perform common tasks, but the main program interface could hardly be more inviting. Simple web style links provide access to common tasks such as opening archives, uploading an archive to the internet using the bundled FTP client, and creating an archive in any of more than 20 formats. Existing archives can be converted into self-extractors while the Backup menu provides the option to compress the contents of common folders such as My Documents for back-up purposes.

As well as extracting archives directly to a folder, files can also be extracted and burned straight to CD or DVD using Windows’ built-in support for burning, and there is also the option of copying direct to a handheld computer. ZipGenius is by far the most feature-rich tool in this Group Test, despite the fact that it’s neither confusing or overwhelming. Simple operation, a powerful set of tools and impressive format support make this an essential download, a great alternative to commercial software and ensures ZipGenius lives up to its rather grandiose title.

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