winzip. is there an alternative?

[Derek]

First of all, Why are the roms and emulators, which are such tiny files, zipped? If this was 1996 with 56k modems, ok. There is no need to zip anything anymore.

 

That said, is there an alternative to winzip? I am using Windows 7 and even if you download winzip for a free 21 day trial period, it doesn't work tomorrow. the trial period is always over, then it takes about ?? reinstallations before it stops telling you congratulations! you have installed winzip, but surprise, you haven't. When you go to use it you get the message that the trial period is over.

 

Downloaded and installed and removed from control panel, add/remove programs about 8 times tonight, still doesn't work. Just the message that the trial period is over.

 

God bless the actual 7800 machine sitting in front of my old crt television. Just flip it on and play. Too much to ask to get to try the games listed here as roms that I don't have actual cartridges of, I guess.

[+arcadeshopper]

Windows 7 comes with zip built-in you don't need WinZip if you need 7-Zip or RAR I suggest getting WinRAR..

 

If you can't get rid have a program on your PC likely it is either infected or never was a good program to start with so you should run Malwarebytes anti-malware and scan your computer it's free to do that

 

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

[CPUWIZ]

7ZIP

[+groundtrooper]

7Zip or WinRAR

[Keatah]

1- First of all, Why are the roms and emulators, which are such tiny files, zipped? If this was 1996 with 56k modems, ok. There is no need to zip anything anymore.

 

2- That said, is there an alternative to winzip? I am using Windows 7 and even if you download winzip for a free 21 day trial period, it doesn't work tomorrow. the trial period is always over, then it takes about ?? reinstallations before it stops telling you congratulations! you have installed winzip, but surprise, you haven't. When you go to use it you get the message that the trial period is over.

 

3- Downloaded and installed and removed from control panel, add/remove programs about 8 times tonight, still doesn't work. Just the message that the trial period is over.

 

4- God bless the actual 7800 machine sitting in front of my old crt television. Just flip it on and play. Too much to ask to get to try the games listed here as roms that I don't have actual cartridges of, I guess.

 

1- Partly out of tradition. Partly to prevent 5,000 files from being scattered all over the disk. Less chance of losing a single file. Many emulators see inside a "container" file just fine. Less chance of a single-bit error or some other corruption or undetectable error occurring in a rom. Date/time preservation. Easy CRC verificiation.. and more.

 

2- I prefer WinRAR. Got a high compression ratio, and been using it for some 20 years now. It's payware, however. But 7zip is a good alternate, many people like it.

 

3- Trial period may indeed be over. Or not. Not all of this date-detection "DRM" works as intended. And Trial Periods rarely automatically reset with a re-install. The installer leaves behind a cryptic registry key like "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\{ABD0DCB-D238-077C-FF80-82A63625ACC0}" which contains the original 1st install date. You'll pull your hair out trying to find it.

 

4- Generally yes. It's unspoken that they exist all over the internet.

[mr_me]

A set of arcade rom files is over 47GB compressed. There are thousands of them and each machine has multiple files. Storing each machine rom files in a single container is easier to manage. Downloading a single archive file is better than downloading multiple individual files.

 

Always look for free or open source software. They are often the best choice anyway. I use 7zip.

 

Edit:

And archiving files for download preserves the date stamp.

Edited December 19, 2017 by mr_me

[Flojomojo]

7zip is very useful, as others have said. It's free.

 

There's always going to be a place for compression software, even with fast network and big disks. Bundling a zillion files into a single one is the most efficient way to transport something. Don't believe me? Copy a single large zip to an SD card, then compare it with copying a smaller folder full of tiny files (like ROMs) and you'll see the I/O cost.

 

I've never heard of anyone preferring Atari 7800 cartridges to rom files before, to paraphrase you, god bless AtariAge.

[Keatah]

Cartridges and "physicality" are still a thing among some. But for the most part, the world has moved on. Cartridges are just..so..

[ClassicGMR]

7Zip AND WinRAR

Fixed it

[Flojomojo]

Cartridges and "physicality" are still a thing among some. But for the most part, the world has moved on. Cartridges are just..so..

 

...so ... carcinogenic and teratological.

 

[Keatah]

Something like that, I've seen them control people to extreme points. Just kinda makes them do things they normally wouldn't. Get's them going. And even creates real visible anxiety.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Keatah

[CRTGAMER]

Windows 7 comes with zip built-in you don't need WinZip.

 

THIS. I use both WinRar and WinZip on my Windows XP Tower, but did not have to install them on my Windows 7 laptop. Simply open the compressed Rar or Zip file and either click extract or drag the contents out. You can also right click to compress files to Rar format, all built in Windows 7.

[MrMaddog]

Yeah, what's the big deal? Zip files are still easier to download instead of d/l eash indvidual file like included read me files.

 

For the record, I use 7z not only for opening RAR files but also for dealing with PK3 files (Doom mods) which Windows Explorer won't open...even though they are just renamed Zip format files.

Edited December 20, 2017 by MrMaddog

[Simba7]

 

...so ... carcinogenic and teratological.

 

Cartridges literally cause birth defects.PNG

It's California.. Everything causes cancer.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Flojomojo]

[Keatah]

It's California.. Everything causes cancer.

 

It's why I got out of that shithole of a state.