This is a real practical program to unzip files, but one thing always bug me, it's it really free or are we all using the free version? Anyone paying for this?
I don't use Winrar to unzip document but yesterday I had to help a neighbor fix some laptop issue and they had Winrar installed but if you double-clicked on the icon an error message reminding you to buy the license would pop up. I know nothing about paid and free versions of the software but I do know that there's a version of the software which you must pay for. Maybe they have a trial period for the "pro" version which onces it expires, you'd have no options but to buy the software.
WinRAR is commercial software. You can find distributors at the following link:Log In. It seems it costs about $30 for a single license. You can use a piece of software called '7-zip'. It is free and open source (Log In). It has all of the functionality of WinRAR, but, again, free/oss. I’m not 100% sure it handles all of the same formats, but it handles all I’ve ever needed and then some.
Yes, I know about 7-zip that is free, but the fact is that I've been using winrar since forever and I never paid for it, that is why I am missing their point here as most users are not paying for winrar and they are using it without limitations like I am.
Yeah, the funny thing about WinRAR is that the free trial never ends, even though it'll prompt you every time to upgrade because your trial has expired. If you ignore the message, then you can keep using the software, at least that's how it works with my version of it. I have paid for it in the past, though. It's a worthwhile program to have, so I see no reason to mooch off it that long without paying.
That is true. I feel that some software and app developers do ask for a contribution and it's well deserved. If I am using a program for so long I might as well contribute to their developers, seems something fair that I can do for someone offering me a free service.
Yes, Winrar keeps working even after the trial version expires. None of the features are disabled. However, it keeps popping up a message prompting you to buy the software. It's a powerful unzipping utility. Winzip is equally good too.
I don't use winrar anymore because I changed computers and it kept asking me to purchase it on my new computer. Take the freebie while you can! Now I use other ways to unzip my files. What a pain! I miss winrar!
I think most people just commonly ignore the purchase options as the developers have structured their software in a way that makes it still functional even if they put up an option for customers to contribute financially. I have heard of one or two people who have paid for it but I think they just did it mostly to show support as the message for optional payment offer isn't too intrusive anyway unless you are the type of person who would be using rar files frequently and these days there are a lot of other free options for that too so it more likely just boils down to support.
This was always something that I was confused about when it came to Winrar too. I have reformatted my computer a few times now, and I have had to reinstall Winrar for all of those reinstalls. But I have never had this trial version run out on me. These reinstalls were years apart, bear in mind. Still not expiry notices, so I am not quite sure what the incentive to purchase the whole version of Winrar is.
When I first discovere RAR (without the "win" part) this was a totally free software available for MS-DOS and was superb efficient. It was later converted on the Windows version we all know, but while it was a shareware program for years, I suddenly found it packed with computer as a part of the pre-installed operating system since Windows Vista. I ignore if this is a freeware version, thing I doubt because WinRar was never free but shareware. Nonetheless and up to Windows 8 I'm using, WinRar comes with the pre-installed OS and never displays any notice to be a limited version, shareware version nor much less a free version.
I've been using WinRAR for many years. For some reason a lot of the sites I would download software, movies and music from would all compress them with it. Plus, I'm not sure if Zip format supports this, but with WinRAR you can password protect files, as well as break them into multiple files which can be daisy chained together.
I also use winrar and have installed it on my bf's computer (the trial version, though this has expired and is still usable as many have mentioned before). I am not quite sure about the tangible differences between it and 7zip, but I have been told the quality is better and some archives can just be opened with winrar. So we have that.
Different compression software offer different compression ratio, with 7zIp being the format with the highest compression to pack your files. WinRar and other software can open 7zip files, but I prefer the proprietary software, available for free here,Log In
This is not really free. There is an upgraded and paid version of this software. I have tried the free version and do not like it too much. I prefer the J zip for free software that unzips many file extensions. This is what the paid version of the Win Rar will do, unzip many types of file extensions.
To unzip many types of file extension I rely on Total Commander, which is a file manager alternative to Windows Explorer. This software compress and decompress practically all type of extension, but for some require plugins or the executable to be present, basically only 7zip required for these extension.
I also have Winrar installed on my pc, but it also has Winzip and 7Zip. I use Winrar so that I could find .rar files easily with it's icon. I actually think that there is no difference between those 3 softwares, so I will just keep using the free version of Winrar.
