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DESCRIPTION
BetterZip lets you quickly inspect archives without first extracting their contents.
- Extract Only Files You Really Need: If you only need a few files or folders from a larger archive, you don't have to extract the whole thing. Simply drag the files you need from the BetterZip window to any Finder window or the desktop.
- Open Archives Without Extracting: Not only can BetterZip open archives without first extracting them but you can also search for a file using the iTunes-like interface. BetterZip can open and extract archives with the most common formats: ZIP, SIT, TAR, GZip, BZip2, RAR, 7-Zip, CPIO, ARJ, LZH/LHA, JAR, WAR, CAB, ISO, CHM, RPM, DEB, NSIS, BIN, HQX, DD.
- Create Archives: Simply drag files and folders from your hard drives, disks, or network places into your new zip file. You no longer have to copy all the files into a temporary folder first. The supported formats are ZIP, TAR, GZip and BZip2 compressed TAR, 7-ZIP, and RAR (using the external RAR commandline tool). Large archives can also be split.
- Protect Your Data: BetterZip can protect your data with a password and create WinZip compatible AES-256 encrypted archives. 7-zip and rar archives can also be protected.
- Update Archives: Add new or updated files to existing archives. Remove any file or folder from an archive, or even move files around inside the archive as if it were a normal folder.
- Make Archives Compatible: Strip Mac specific files and resource forks from archives for best compatibility with systems like Windows or Linux.
- BetterZip Speaks Seven Languages: BetterZip includes English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish localizations, each with a complete translation of the documentation.
WHAT'S NEW
Version 1.8.1:
- BetterZip can now concatenate split files: something.001 + something.002 + ...
- Added a Russian localization by Alexandr Slavyshensky.
- File modification times in zip files created with BetterZip were shifted by the timezone offset.
- Folder modification times were always set to the time of the archive creation.
- When RAR files were re-saved they always ended up as multi-volume archives.
- Files in multi-volume RAR archives with missing parts can be previewed and extracted again, if the missing parts are not necessary.
- RAR files with header encryption are handled in a better way now. You get repeated chances to enter the correct password and the archive will no longer be moved to the trash when you cancel the process. (If you had enabled this feature in the preferences.)
- Only the first part of a multi-volume RAR archive with the old naming scheme (r00,...) was deleted automatically when the deleting option was set.
REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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SCREENSHOT
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| BetterZip User Reviews (42 posts) | Write A Review |
 | Jun 16 2009 |
FORMICA For UNPACKING archives, Zipeg is better, and it's FREE! I spent a day upgrading my brother's family's three Macintoshes to 10.5 and partitioning each into main and emergency volumes, and I used Firewire drives and his new MacBook to backup and restore all the files and software of each. So, I was able to fully test BetterZip 1.8.1's unpacking capabilities. Two things drove me nuts: First, no matter how I set the preferences, BetterZip would never automatically unpack to the default location that I set (next to the archive), but instead would make me choose each time using the standard save-to dialog; Second, again despite my having set it to "Quit after last window closed," BetterZip would never automatically quit after unpacking an archive -- I always had to manually quit the application. For both these behaviors (and more), Zipeg is superior -- it unquestioningly saved all unpacked files in the same directory right next to their archives (just as I instructed in the preferences), and after first setting Zipeg to quit after a successful unpacking, it did so each time right after playing a little two-note song to signify completion. And as far as I can tell, Zipeg handles roughly the same types of archives as BetterZip, and it too allows you to see the complete contents of an archive before unpacking it. However, in my opinion the dialog Zipeg uses to display the contents of an archive before unpacking is more intuitive, more logical and easily understood. Of course, Zipeg is just an UNPACKER, and does not create archives like BetterZip can. However, there are several nice free utilities available for that as well (I like GUI Tar, but there are many), and for someone like me who does relatively little archive creating, those free alternatives are entirely sufficient. So for me, BetterZip slows down my workflow, while Zipeg speeds it up.
(Version 1.8.1) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
 | Jun 17 2009 |
ROBERT (MACITBETTER) It sounds like you might like the "direct extraction" that I added in BetterZip 1.8. It will show only a progress bar when you open an archive from the Finder and extract it, much like the built-in Archive Utility. Activate it in the preferences. On the other hand, if you want to inspect the archive before extracting it, set the option "Default to 1-Click Extract" in the preferences. This will extract your archive next to the archive itself when you click the button in the toolbar.
(Version 1.8.1) | |
| Jun 5 2009 |
BS0D Very stable, easy to use. An app that I would recommend, all in all. It is much less invasive than stuffit, but has less options too. But I like it... simple and efficient. Congrats Dev, keep up the good work and save us from stuffit ;)
(Version 1.8.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Apr 30 2009 |
EEPTMAN Not bad. Sometimes it hangs seconds while I try to extract one fold from a large file(~480MB). Besides, it has kind of problem to handle documents named with Chinese characters. If I zip some files given in Chinese name, they shows correctly on Mac instead of on Windows. Is it possible to be fix?
(Version 1.8.1) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| May 1 2009 |
ROBERT (MACITBETTER) When the archive is a "solid" rar, 7-zip, or tar based file extraction of a single file can take as long as extraction of the whole archive. There's nothing I can do about it, since it is an inherent characteristic of the compression algorithm. if you think it's something different, please contact me. If you have a small example archive with Chinese characters that has this problem, please send it to my e-mail address (it's on the contact page on my web site). That would help greatly. Thanks!
(Version 1.8.1) | |
 | May 29 2009 |
ROBACKJA Well, most (if not all) compression algorithms compress in chunks or blocks, bzip, gz, 7z, etc. If BetterZip used an API to extract files, for example, unrar source provides a way to build as a library, then progress could be reported on a per file basis. But I assume BetterZip just calls the UNIX command line executables, so an alternative using 2 progress bars. One overall progress, and one current file progress. Overall progress would work as it does now. Second progress would work if you knew the file size of file currently being extracted. the second progress bar could monitor the extracted size and report on individual progress.
(Version 1.8.1) | |
| Apr 16 2009 |
Using a 721MB directory full of text files: 7za (7za a -t7z -m0=lzma -mx=9 -mfb=64 -md=32m -ms=on) took 11 minutes to produce an 8.3MB archive BetterZip took 10 minutes to produce a 7.2MB archive (highest compression ratio, no mac-specific files) I wouldn't recommend the zip highest compression though: 26 minutes to have a 47MB zip archive while the osx utility took one minute to produce a 53MB archive. (Disclaimer: this may be totally different for normal zip compression!) But since I bought this for removing mac invisible files and p7zip compression, I'm totally satisfied =)
(Version 1.8) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Apr 15 2009 |
META Does everything I ever needed from StuffIt Deluxe, in a third of bloat of StuffIt Expander alone. Makes 7z files, and unpacks pretty much any legacy proprietary format. Also has the right UI: let me open a window and move files in and out, and only ask me what format and do the compression when I actually save.
(Version 1.8) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Apr 15 2009 |
ELTICO4 Very cool. So good I almost bought it despite the fact that I don't use archives much.
(Version 1.8) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Mar 31 2009 |
MEDIAVINCI - Worked around a problem with the built-in archive handler in Windows XP and Vista. Thank you very much. That really helps.
(Version 1.8) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Feb 25 2009 |
DOUG S. Great app, but sometimes I want to just auto-extract things and sometimes I don't. I don't see a simple way to do that. A right-click menu option would be appreciated to make this work.
(Version 1.7.3) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Feb 25 2009 |
ROBERT (MACITBETTER) There is an option in the preferences to make "direct extraction" (that's what I call it) the default. You can temporarily toggle this by holding down the control and command keys while opening an archive from Finder, Safari, Firefox, or any other application.
(Version 1.7.3) | |
| Feb 25 2009 |
DOUG S. Thanks for the tip! I wasn't aware of that.
(Version 1.7.3) | |
| Feb 24 2009 |
CTKMND - problem with _large_ files (in excess ~4Gb). Can't extract without errors. The file extracts fine with BOMArchive though. - can't handle temporary files properly. Double clicking a file to view it and then closing the viewer and dragging the file to the desktop brings up an extraction error. Dragging the file directly after opening the archive works ok, but not when first viewing. - weird handling of passworded rar files and it needs the original rar utility which isn't really free or included in the program fee. and other small quirks makes me look for another compression program elsewhere now.
(Version 1.7.3) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Feb 24 2009 |
ROBERT (MACITBETTER) - What format is the large file? I am not aware of any file extraction problems. - Do you drag the files from the BetterZip window to your desktop after viewing? Again, I am not aware of any problems here, more details would be really helpful. - What exactly do you mean with weird password handling? - The external rar program is only needed for CREATING rar files. Extraction is built right into BetterZip. No need for additional tools or license fees. Please check what version you have installed, because the first two problems sound like bugs that have long been fixed.
(Version 1.7.3) | |
| Feb 21 2009 |
CHRISYBOY Have just given this another go after trying a long time ago when I was demo'ing different archiving software. It's very good but two things would make it perfect: 1) A contextual menu plugin, so you can extract archives etc all via right click. Another mac archiver, Springy, has this but I prefer BetterZip's GUI. 2) When you open a file from within an archive, edit it and save it, BetterZip should recognise this and give you the option of saving the archive with the edited file. This is pretty standard practice in most archiving software I have used. As it is you have to extract the file, edit it, then manually re-save it into the archive, which is a bit fiddly.
(Version 1.7.3) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Feb 24 2009 |
ROBERT (MACITBETTER) I have both your feature requests on my list and they will be in the next major version.
(Version 1.7.3) | |
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