Appcompactor

Editors’ ReviewDownload.com staffApril 10, 2012Roll your own portable application of potentially any program with AppCompactor. This portable power user's delight crushes program files, often shaving 50 percent off the size on disk. AppCompactor melds 7-Zip and UPX to compress and archive DLLs, EXEs, JARs, and other files essential for running any program into a package that doesn't need to be unarchived to run. Programs that have been compacted run smoothly from a flash drive or other on-the-go storage devices. When you run AppCompactor, it will ask you to point it at a program directory. From there, you can choose the type of compression you want to run. NRV2E is the default setting, with other choices including NRV2D, LZMA, BRUTE, and a decompress option. You can also opt out of compressing JAR and ZIP files, although the default is to compress them down. As the application runs, it opens a DOS window that shows you the progress of the compression cycle. This should help observant users with fast eyes to keep track of any errors that occur. Saving the compressed program output to the hard drive and then copying to a USB key gave faster results than outputting directly to the flash drive. However, this is not a program to treat cavalierly. When using it, it's essential to read through the instructions. Choosing to compact the main program executable can result in rendering the compacted program inoperable. In other words, do not compact C:\Program Files\Firefox\Firefox.exe, for example. C:\Program Files\Firefox\Files would be fine, though.

Bandizip VS WinRAR Bandizip and WinRAR are both powerful compression tools, with Bandizip being lightweight and user-friendly while offering a range of supported formats and customization options. WinRAR, on the other hand, is a more established program with advanced features such as file repair and backup options, but it comes with a cost and can be more resource-intensive. Bandizip Pros: Free to use with no limitations Lightweight and fast Supports a wide range of file formats User-friendly interface Customizable options for advanced users Portable version available Batch compression feature Cons: Limited advanced features compared to WinRAR No cloud storage support Lacks file repair functions No command line support WinRAR Pros: Widely recognized and trusted Powerful compression algorithms Strong encryption and security features Multi-volume archives support File repair functions Backup features available Regular updates and support Cons: Not free (trial version available) More complex interface for new users Resource-intensive compared to Bandizip Less customizable than Bandizip Compare Bandizip Compare 7-Zip and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare 7z SFX-Creator and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare AppCompactor and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare B1 Free Archiver and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare BetterZip and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare Bitser and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare File Roller and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare FreeArc and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare IZArc and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare p7zip and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare PeaZip and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare PowerArchiver and Bandizip and decide which is most suitable for you.

7-Zip VS The Unarchiver The Unarchiver is a macOS-specific tool that excels in ease of use and format support, making it ideal for casual users. In contrast, 7-Zip offers a more comprehensive set of features, including robust compression options and cross-platform availability, making it suitable for advanced users and those needing more functionality. 7-Zip Pros: Supports a wide range of archive formats including .zip, .rar, .iso, .7z Offers strong compression ratios Open-source and free to use Cross-platform availability (Windows, Linux, macOS) Includes command-line interface for advanced users Cons: User interface can be less intuitive for beginners Some features require command-line knowledge May have slower extraction speeds for very large files compared to other tools The Unarchiver Pros: Easy to use with a simple interface Supports a wide range of archive formats Integrates well with macOS No installation required (portable version available) Fast extraction speed Cons: Limited features compared to more advanced software No built-in compression capabilities Only available for macOS Compare 7-Zip Compare 7z SFX-Creator and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare AppCompactor and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare B1 Free Archiver and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare Bandizip and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare BetterZip and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare Bitser and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare ExtractNow and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare File Roller and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare FreeArc and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare gzip and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare IZArc and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you. Compare Keka and 7-Zip and decide which is most suitable for you.

Disk drives are now fitted with enough space to help you store large quantities of files, while removable drives keep up the pace, making transfer of large items less of a hassle. This doesn’t mean you need to chaotically handle files, and with the help of AppCompactor you can easily compress entire programs to better fit on small drives.Choose multiple files and foldersThe whole experience is a wizard-driven process to make the set of features easy to understand by individuals of all levels of experience. Each step offers detailed descriptions of options you can manage, while the intro screen helps you figure out what you get in the end and how this is done.The first step is to select one or more locations you want to compress. This is done through the browse dialog which comes in the form of a tree list. Sadly, it’s not fitted with common locations like the desktop, so you need to navigate from root drives. It’s possible to include elements from LAN computers, and even removable drives.Define compression strength and filtersA couple of compression methods are at your disposal, and you can choose both of them. However, it’s best to check the type of files you want to compress, because some might end up not functioning in the end. You can choose to delete uninstaller files based on a specific filter.Both compression methods come with advanced sets of options. Handled in a similar manner, these let you configure which file formats to include or exclude, as well as the compression level. Higher compression means more build time, but better chances to save space.Before compression starts, there’s the possibility to enable the creation of a backup just in case something unexpected occurs. It’s advisable to enable this option because the original file is processed. After compression is done you can have the source folder brought up to test functionality, and even revert changes if something goes wrong.In conclusionBottom line is that even though space availability is not that much of a concern nowadays, it’s still a good idea to handle file distribution in an organized