WinRAR 5.0.1.exe

WinRAR 5.0.1




Why should you download WinRAR? We'll tell you. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, it’s not difficult to get your head around WinRAR’s powerful data-squashing features.

Back in the early days of file compression, the WinZip application was the only file-shrinker and file-expander that you ever needed.

But the arrival of WinRAR changed all that and the software quickly gained a reputation for being able to unpack anything you threw at it - ZIP, CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZIP, ACE, UUE, BZIP2, JAR, ISO, Z and 7-ZIP.

Once you’ve used this WinRAR download, you quickly realise that the compression functionality that comes baked into Microsoft’s Windows OS is woefully basic and limited to the ZIP format.

According to WinRAR’s creators, the RAR format has several advantages over the ZIP file - superior compression, AES encryption and recovery records (to repair archives if damaged).



WinRAR also has the ability to split large file archives into smaller chunks (multi-volume files), making them easier to share. The software automatically joins them together again when the files are uncompressed.

The standard features in version 5.0 of this popular file compression tool continue to include the effortless opening, packing and unpacking of compressed RAR archives, the creation of SFX archives (that unpack themselves), as well as the repair of damaged archives.

One feature that's only available if you download WinRAR is being able to estimate the size of the archive that you want to create out of the files you want to compress. This is especially useful if you want to compress very big files or files that really have to fit on a CD or USB stick. To do this, WinRAR compares the different versions of the ZIP and RAR formats.

Version 5.0 of the WinRAR download introduced a new RAR5 compression format, which can be selected from the options or activated using a simple command line switch.

RAR5 uses an improved compression algorithm (including the ability to use multiple CPU cores for speedier archive processing), new UTC time-stamping (for easier international file-swapping), and superior AES-256-bit encryption.

RAR5 files can only be created and opened by WinRAR 5.0. The option to compress data in the older RAR4 format remains and this option is essential for exchanging RAR archives with non-WinRAR 5.0 users.

Not much has changed in the 5.01 version that you can download here. Updates to the software are limited to various quick open information options, which enable WinRAR to open data archives faster, plus a collection of small bug fixes.

Verdict: WinRAR takes up the pole position among compression tools. Well developed features, high reliability and easy of use contribute to a top compression download. WinRAR is superb.