DOS Games Discussion

For ZIPin' fun, "Winzip8 or 9" are fine, but "EasyZip 2000" is great. I've found it handles file very well and compresses a bit better. There is no nag screen and the config options are extensive. I recommend you install it in ever PC. Here's from the intro:

Introduction

Have you ever used the Internet, CompuServe, or America Online? If so, you've probably encountered Zip or other compressed files. Are you a Windows user? If so, EasyZip is THE way to handle these archived files.

EasyZip brings the convenience of Windows to the use of Zip files and many, many other compression formats.

EasyZip features include:

Complete built-in support for creating and working with ZIP (+QUAKE PK3, +JavaARchiver), CAB, LHA (LZH) and BH (BlakHole - fast and good compression format by Carl Bunton) compressed files, and built-in support for reading and extracting many other file formats like: RAR, ARJ, ARC, ACE, ZOO, TAR, GZ, XXE and UUE.

Windows 95/98/NT integration: EasyZip includes long filename support and tight integration with the Windows 95/98/NT shell. Drag and drop to or from Explorer, or zip and unzip without leaving Explorer using powerful context sensitive menus.
With EasyZip you can do everything you can imagine with ZIP, CAB, LHA and BH (BlakHole) compressed files (add, extract, view, delete, rename files in an archive, test, install archives, check for viruses in an archive, convert them to powerful SFX archives, etc.) and some basic operations with RAR, ARJ, ARC, ACE, ZOO, TAR and GZ compressed files (extract, view, install, check for viruses, test).

Internet support: Complete support for XXE and UUE Internet encoded files.
Automatic installation of most software distributed in Zip files: If a Zip file contains a “setup.exe” or “install.exe” program in the central (root) directory, EasyZip’s Install feature will unzip the files, run the installation program and clean up any temporary files used.

Favorite Zip Folders: EasyZip lets you organize Zip files into one convenient list that is sorted by date, making it easier to locate all Zip files, regardless of where they came from or where they are stored. Unlike the standard File->Open Archive dialog box, the Favorite Zip Folders dialog box treats the contents of multiple folders as though they were one folder. A Search facility will find any Zip files lost on your hard disk.

Create files that unzip themselves: with the EasyZip Self-Extractor. Self-extracting files are ideal for sending compressed files to others who may not own or know how to use file compression software.

Virus Scanner Support: EasyZip can be configured to work with most virus scanners.
EasyZip is extremely easy to use! To open an archive simply double click (or click if you are using WEB Style listing) on an archive listed in My Computer or the Windows Explorer or drag and drop an archive onto an empty EasyZip window or use the standard Open dialog box. The main EasyZip window features a list with the names, sizes, and date/time stamps of all files in the opened archive. This list can be scrolled and sorted on any field.

Double clicking on a file in the main EasyZip window has the same effect as double clicking in My Computer or the Windows Explorer. First the file is extracted from the archive. Then, if the file is executable, it is run. Otherwise, the file is opened by the appropriate application (for example, NOTEPAD for *.TXT files) based on standard Windows associations. If the file hasn't got an appropriate application then the file is viewed by NOTEPAD.

The Windows Drag and Drop interface is fully supported. You can drag and drop files from EasyZip to other applications. EasyZip will extract the files before dropping them on the target application. The target application will treat the files as if they had been dropped from My Computer or the Windows Explorer. You can also drop archives on an empty EasyZip window to open them or drop the files on EasyZip to add them to an opened archive.

Current Awards:

EasyZip has been tested by many magazines and download sites. So here are some awards that EasyZip won:

Rated with ***** at www.filetransit.com

Rated with ***** (TOP AWARD) at www.completelyFREEsoftware.com

Rated with ***** at www.supershareware.com

Skylark Utilities Editor's Pick (www.skylarkutilities.com)

Pick of the week July 1999 at www.skylarkutilities.com

Rated with ***** at softwarecenter.net

Rated with ****** (BEST) at nonags.com

Rated with ***** at www.filedudes.com

Rated with ***** at www.5star-shareware.com

Rated with ***** at www.hotfiles.com

Marked with "pick" at www.download.com

And many, many others...

Meh, I'll stick to winrar, thank you.

Sounds like a really good program and thanks for all the info johpower, but it's going to take a lot to get me to switch from UltimateZip.

Heck, I've got winzip trial version. If your program can do everything it can (including the ability to right click on a folder and make a zip file out of the whole thing) without counting all the times I've used the program, give me a link.

http://www.bash.org/?23601

If I don't remember wrongly, long ago I used to have EasyZip previously on my Win 95 PC and enjoy it because it was very user-friendly. It came installed on the PC. Now on my Win XP as well as the PC at the workplace, I use Winzip. The new version has enough easy to use functions that there doesn't seem a need to change. Actually Winrar is better as it compresses the file even more than Winzip as is has the same or slightly more functions than Winzip.

You can't go past 7zip when it comes to video files.

Gamer_V wrote:Meh, I'll stick to winrar, thank you.

Same here, works great for me, especially with the ISO unzipper. I have the trial version of WinZip, but I don't like the setup as well.

Does it zip subdirectories?

The EazyZip site is at: http://ipsoft.cjb.net/ You should get any ??? answered there. They have other offerings as well.

I confess not to have used all the possible zip progs. Like most of us, I try out other progs when the one we've been using fails in some manner. I'll look in on a few suggested here.

As to the WinZip trial, it doesn't go to cripple-ware but the nag screen can't be removed w/o paying.

The best part of Winrar is the option while in Windows Explorer to right click the file and just go "Extract here" instead of loading the whole program up and ctrl-v'ing the files.

Honestly johpower EazyZip sounds like a pretty good program so until it stops working or it can't do what you want I'd just stick with it. Personally I use 3 programs, I'm sure there are potentially better ones but these 3 work fine so I don't really care.

WinRAR - I use for it's split archiving capabilities.

UltimateZip - Can handle just about every compression format there is.

7-Zip - For some reason many zip programs don't have a problem extracting 7z files, but when it comes to creating them they all seem to mess up. And if like me you send and recieve lots of video files, you really do need 7z as it's got the best video compression.

EazyZip gives 5 options at a right click on a ZIP file: Extract to, extract here, extract to (file spec), create self extracting zip (if already zipped), create spanned set (for floppies or other media).

For a regular file/folder to be compressed there are 2 right click options: Compress to ZIP + Options and Compress to (file spec).

You must compress a file/folder first before you can create a self-extractor. Of course there are more options in the main program window and drag-n-drop ability.

I have noted that if you compress a folder w/o openning it, it will expand at the other end with the directory structure intact.

I'm pretty sure all of those features are included in most zip programs.

I use Izark. Its free and its fun (i guess). But it also allows you to compress too.

<mage> what should I give sister for unzipping?
<Kevyn> Um. Ten bucks?
<mage> no I mean like, WinZip?

The_Sinister_Mastermind wrote:You can't go past 7zip when it comes to video files.

Bedsides video, 7-zip compresses other files very well. I was amazed by it when I recently downloaded a 40MB zipped file and it extracted to become 135MB However, haven't tried it with video files.

The_Sinister_Mastermind wrote:7-Zip - For some reason many zip programs don't have a problem extracting 7z files, but when it comes to creating them they all seem to mess up. And if like me you send and recieve lots of video files, you really do need 7z as it's got the best video compression.

Mess up in what sense? Maybe I need to experiment zipping files with 7z.
In the beginning, I was a bit hestitant of using this freeware zipping program (7-zip) and having so many zipping programs. However, after seeing the great compression rate, I recommand trying out. I amazed and satisfied at using it. The advantage is that it's compressed size saves space for people to download, making downloads faster and also saves bandwith. However, it is not a widely used format so people downloading the files have to install this program.