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popularnardholio posted Nov 08, 2025 10:34 PM
popularnardholio posted Nov 08, 2025 10:34 PM

Winrar Win-rar license key $14.50

$15

$29

48% off
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Nov 09, 2025 02:05 PM
7,686 Posts
Joined Oct 2008
RumbleTheBisonNov 09, 2025 02:05 PM
7,686 Posts
Quote from Relik :
7-Zip (https://7-zip.org/) will likely do better than WinRAR, with the advantage of being free and open source. It will read RAR archives in most cases, however I believe I've had some problems with archives made using specific options in WinRAR 7.0+ (4GB or greater dictionary size?). It won't create rar's, but you shouldn't need to do that if you switch to 7z. 😉

The biggest reason you will find that people don't use 7-Zip (companies in particular) is that people are used to WinRAR and the tech support needed to have them change is troublesome, so WinRAR keeps selling licenses. I've got nothing against that, it's just that they only profit due to the friction of learning a new tool - not innovation.

For those that say WinRAR is free, no...
>>To summarise, there is no official "free version" of WinRAR in the strict sense. The software is commercial and requires a licence purchase after a 40-day trial period. But, WinRAR's developers allow users to continue using the full version indefinitely without enforcing payment, although with periodic reminders to purchase a licence.
7-Zip is truly free, no nags, no reminders, LGPL license, no button to pay the developer even if you want to.
>> You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial organization. You don't need to register or pay for 7-Zip.
Due to the origins of 7-zip's creator there are cyber security channels that disallow it in their environment, especially those who are government contractors. Would I install 7-zip? I would. BUT, I've now worked for a few 30k companies who disallow it. So, YMMV.
2
Nov 09, 2025 02:07 PM
7,686 Posts
Joined Oct 2008
RumbleTheBisonNov 09, 2025 02:07 PM
7,686 Posts
Quote from Slick_Drone :
Windows has a built in file compression tool?
It does, but its functionality is VERY limited. For example, vendor last week sent a password-protected license string and I had to actually open Winrar to decrypt it. Windows was not showing the option to enter its password when decompressing, resulting in incomplete processes.
Nov 09, 2025 05:28 PM
17,610 Posts
Joined Aug 2009
PocketsThickNov 09, 2025 05:28 PM
17,610 Posts
I've been making a habit lately of buying software that I've used for years that has been free. I purchased revo uninstaller on a massive discount. I have Malwarebytes lifetime licence. I need to get a CCleaner lifetime... If that even exists.

Sure, 7zip exists, but I got to be honest, I always go back to WinRAR. It's just better. It gives me less problems when opening more complex archives 🏴 ☠️🦜🏴 ☠️
Nov 09, 2025 05:33 PM
17,610 Posts
Joined Aug 2009
PocketsThickNov 09, 2025 05:33 PM
17,610 Posts
Quote from enkay2 :
WinRAR the goat for letting everyone fully use the program even though it technically is the trial version. I use it multiple times a week, i should actually support them, and maybe also VLC.
VLC is trash now. I went through all this research to get RTX playback to work with Nvidia graphics cards (it upconverts lower resolution video files to your monitor resolution). Couldn't get it to work. Plus no dark mode. Turns out that "Pot Player" is free, works really well with RTX, has native dark mode, gets updated all the time, etc. VLC player is finished.

But I agree supporting software you use with a small donation. 🎉
1
Nov 09, 2025 07:49 PM
42 Posts
Joined Jul 2019
Rox5tar01Nov 09, 2025 07:49 PM
42 Posts
[IMG]https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTI5MDMyOTZheWM0dmo2djgweXJuajF6cGZsbTk0NjZ2ejV4NzNpaW4wYmRzOG0yNiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/DOPKHQg6oFWUg/giphy.gif[/IMG]
1
Nov 09, 2025 08:27 PM
236 Posts
Joined Apr 2006
orlanthNov 09, 2025 08:27 PM
236 Posts
Quote from Eragorn :
RocketJump made a short years ago about this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX_pF03vCSU
Great history lesson. Thanks for sharing!
Nov 09, 2025 09:23 PM
553 Posts
Joined Dec 2020
MisterDudeNov 09, 2025 09:23 PM
553 Posts
Quote from jkloisdafoiwdaf :
Open source and free are totally different things. People like you is why open source projects get abandoned. Users expecting lifetime feature updates, polished UI, support for free
Wikipedia and similar use the term FOSS which is FREE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE. It's an industry standard term.

I've donated to the publishers and groups who publish FOSS that I use daily. I've never asked for support as the online forums usually have any answers I might need. Projects get abandoned for many reasons besides a lack of donations. Software devs who donated their time have changes in life like having kids, a new job, divorce, illness, or they are simply burned out on that specific project. With open source literally anyone else can take the code and pick up where the last dev left off. Obviously people should donate to the FOSS projects they use daily. Especially if they are using them in a business environment.
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Nov 10, 2025 12:10 AM
118 Posts
Joined Apr 2018
kydarNov 10, 2025 12:10 AM
118 Posts
If I didn't already have a license I'd grab this in a second!
Nov 10, 2025 09:26 AM
93 Posts
Joined Jul 2017
SurgeArrestNov 10, 2025 09:26 AM
93 Posts
zstd is the best modern compression tool from Facebook. Compared against everything else and it is almost always produces smallest files in shortest time.
Pro
Nov 10, 2025 06:16 PM
808 Posts
Joined Nov 2015
speedy777
Pro
Nov 10, 2025 06:16 PM
808 Posts
It seems many folks like 7z. However, I found out by accident when my Wifi disconnected in September and 7z will not run without internet connection. My guess they are using tracking location or who know what.

Other info:
7z version 24.0X
Windows11
1
Nov 10, 2025 06:50 PM
415 Posts
Joined Jan 2010
thezenNov 10, 2025 06:50 PM
415 Posts
FYI, PeaZip is an awesome free alternative that supports all OSs if you don't want to pay.
Nov 11, 2025 12:13 AM
84 Posts
Joined Oct 2025
ElatedCreator3600Nov 11, 2025 12:13 AM
84 Posts
The license is primarily meant to be sold to businesses. Regular people can buy them, but there isn't a point.
Nov 11, 2025 01:04 AM
3,883 Posts
Joined Apr 2015
SeanD1497Nov 11, 2025 01:04 AM
3,883 Posts
One more vote for 7zip. Been using it for years, and haven't even thought about it for a long time because it just works, doesn't do anything to piss me off, and it's free.
My use of compression tools dates back to the early 90's when PKZip and PKUNZIP were separate DOS command line tools we used a lot with our BBS downloads/uploads. I've used WIn-rar and a handful of others since then, and 7zip is definitely the best I've tried, since it integrates well with Windows and does its job while staying out of the way or otherwise creating any annoyances. If you like WIn-rar, okay, but I have no idea why anyone would pay for it.
Nov 11, 2025 02:23 AM
60 Posts
Joined Mar 2012
definiteNov 11, 2025 02:23 AM
60 Posts
Thank you!! Anyone have a deal for AOL?

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Nov 11, 2025 02:51 AM
1,899 Posts
Joined May 2004
ECarlsonNov 11, 2025 02:51 AM
1,899 Posts
Quote from SeanD1497 :
One more vote for 7zip. Been using it for years, and haven't even thought about it for a long time because it just works, doesn't do anything to piss me off, and it's free.
My use of compression tools dates back to the early 90's when PKZip and PKUNZIP were separate DOS command line tools we used a lot with our BBS downloads/uploads. I've used WIn-rar and a handful of others since then, and 7zip is definitely the best I've tried, since it integrates well with Windows and does its job while staying out of the way or otherwise creating any annoyances. If you like WIn-rar, okay, but I have no idea why anyone would pay for it.
I remember PKZip. And I helped run a few BBSs, and used many others, and wrote an article about BBSs for the college paper.

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