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WinZip is a one-stop file manager that allows you to zip, protect, manage, and share files seamlessly. This tool gives you easy access and with it, you can connect to OneDrive, Google Drive, and DropBox.

More than zipping and unzipping

WinZip is a go-to zip tool that converts PDFs, adds watermarks, manages archives, protects files, and integrates with cloud services. It is one of the oldest file compression programs as it was first released in 1991. It’s one of the most trusted ways to work with zipped files and offers a variety of features and is straightforward to use.

You can rest assured knowing that this old program is still relevant, considering it recently passed it’s billion download mark. The interface is even modern, though it’s simple and functional.

WinZip does much more than just zip and unzip files. It even supports many additional archive file formats that are easily found on the web. In addition to ZIP, it works with TAW, CAB, RAR, 7z, LZH, ARJ, and BHZ. This even allows you to add government-level encryption to protect documents.

Interface

WinZip's main interface has a similar look as Microsoft Office programs. It includes a ribbon control bar that’s easy to navigate. It’s modern and sleek, though you can revert to the classic WinZip interface if you prefer. You can even dress the program in themes.

Under the control bar’s first option, Create, you can encrypt documents, resize photos, add a watermark, and convert to a PDF. You’ll also see a button for your cloud options which allows you to create zips directly from Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive online storage.

At the very top of the app’s window, you’ll find small quick-access buttons used for creating a new zip file, opening an existing one, or sending it to online storage service. You can save files to an archive or zip and email them. All of the context menus are fully configurable, so you can choose just to view the WinZip commands.

Cloud integration

It’s easy to create a zip from files from cloud accounts as long as you’re logged in. WinZip will download these files and focus on all elements of zip creation from within the program. When you’re finished, a message box will display telling you how much space you’ve saved through compression.

It’s equally as easy to upload a ZIP to cloud accounts and upload them to social media accounts. You can upload it to Twitter, Facebook, or all two simultaneously. Files are uploaded to WinZip’s own cloud storage, and you’ll receive a link for sharing. When your followers click on the link on one of your pages, they’ll be redirected to a simple download page on zipshare.com.

You can also send files through ZipSend, which will require that you create an online account. Once you do, you’ll be able to send up to 50 MB if you have a free account. With ZipSend pro, you can send up to 2GB.

WinZip tools

Under the ‘Tools’ menu choice, you’ll see a variety of useful functions. You can create a multi-part zip file, self-extracting ones, password encryption, and UUEncoding. There are also some tools that will show you the last output messages of test results. You can add comments and diagnostics. Typically the diagnostic and last output tools will show you the same dialogue.

WinZip allows you to encrypt your compressed files and archives with up to 256-bit AES, which is the same level of security used by the U.S. government for highly confidential information. You can also resize images within your files and add watermarks in order to protect your digital property. It’s also simple to convert any Office files to PDF for viewing.

Another useful feature is the Performance Scan. This will look for any unneeded and temporary files. It’ll also identify any potential registry issues. Unfortunately, when you click ‘Fix’, you’ll be encouraged to purchase the company’s system cleaner software.

Issues

If you need to zip large media files, there’s no faster way to do it. A project of 1 GB with a 97% compression rate should only take about one minute. This is compared to the built-in Windows zipper, which would take up to thirty minutes for the same job.

Some users report running into error messages during testing. Often this happens when you simply drag and drop many MB of files at a time. You might also run into an error message when you send a MyZip email. Luckily, WinZip has a thorough up-to-date help option on it’s Knowledge Base.

Alternatives

While WinZip is the oldest of its kind, it does have some competition from programs like 7-Zip 64 Bit, WinRAR 32-bit, and BandZip. That said, the latest version of WinZip is the most feature-packed and simple to use archiving utility. It’s faster in comparison, comprehensive, and offers the best security features.

Many of today’s operating systems already include built-in tools for extracting ZIP files. WinZip is much faster than its competitors, especially the readily available tools on your PC. It also offers unparalleled encryption and cloud integration. No other compression utility is as productivity-enhancing and easy-to-use.

The fastest zip tool

While it seems like WinZip has been around since the dawn of computing, it’s in no way obsolete. This tool is seamless and fast. You can quickly and securely zip and unzip to conserve storage space, share and archive files, and add encryption. The latest version offers state-of-the-art conversion and a new intuitive photo compression tool.

When you download this software, you join a user base of over a billion members. Despite an upsurge in competition, WinZip remains the complete compression and archiving solution. There is a 45-day trial version if you want to test out how much this allows you to work faster and safer.