Traditionally the first choice when it comes to compressing and uncompressing files, WinZip is one of the most popular downloads of all time. Despite the fact that its competitors have caught up somewhat, it remains a simple way to archive programs and reduce file sizes.

Much of WinZip's success has been down to its simplicity. From the outset, the program prompts you to choose between Classic mode and Wizard mode. The wizard is great for beginners, although even the classic interface is easily negotiated, giving you instant access to a range of features such as compression ratios, password-protection and a Favorites list.

While archiving files in WinZip is quick and easy, you can't help but thinking that the program has lost some ground on its competitors. For instance, the compression rates aren’t as high as they are in WinRAR, and you can only save files in Zip format rather than RAR, ISO or JAR.

Nevertheless, WinZip performs its function well, helping you archive files quickly and effectively.

Download WinZip 17.5 build 10480 in Softonic

In this application also Tools, Tools to open TaskManager, Regedit, etc. which is locked by a virus.

More light, cheap, and has many additional features, This application is only measuring less than 3 MB, and also has 10 professional skins. In addition, this application also uses sound to notify warnings or notices, making it easy to understand.

Users may not rummaged in the Folder Protection, because it will create a folder Protection can not be opened. And should not be breaking into applications with other tools.

Download Folder Protection 2.5.6 in Softonic

Some will argue that WinRAR isn’t as quick as rival WinZip at compressing files. However, for the small time difference, WinRAR leaves you with a significantly smaller archived file at the end of the process. What’s more, the application allows you to save files into both .ZIP and .RAR formats, with bunches of options for speeding up compression times and reducing file sizes.

Although many newcomers might be put off by the sheer range of features and settings within WinRAR, the interface doesn’t take long to get accustomed to, and if you’re still really stuck there’s a simple wizard-based system that walks you through the process of extracting or compressing. All this adds up to make WinRAR a dependable utility that performs better than any other tool in its class.

Boasting more compression options, higher compression rates and smaller file sizes than WinZip, WinRAR is now the undisputed market leader in file compression.

Download WinRAR 4.20 (64 bit) in Softonic

What's the story behind Slender?

The myth of Slender started quite simply as a rumor and has also been popularized as an internet meme. The story is that Slender Man is a mythical creature often depicted as a tall, thin figure wearing a black suit and a blank face.

According to legend, Slenderman can stretch or shorten his arms at will and has tentacle-like appendages on his back. Slender Man can cause memory loss, insomnia, paranoia, coughing fits (nicknamed "slendersickness"), photographic and video distortions and can teleport at will.

How to play Slender

The basic premise of the game is the more directly you come in contact with the Slender Man, the faster your sanity drains. You therefore have to careful not to look at the enemy for too long and remember that your flashlight has a limited battery so you must turn it off from time to time to save it. Also, the more you sprint, the lower your maximum stamina becomes, so you must sprint only when you need to.

The controls to the game are simple:

Mouse -- Look around
W,A,S & D -- Move
Left Shift -- Sprint
Left Mouse Click -- Pick up pages
Right Mouse Click -- Flashlight
Q & E -- Zoom in/out

Is it scary?

Slender does well in creating quite a creepy atmosphere for a very basic game. It feels like just you, your torch and the sound of crickets chirping as you fumble your way through the forest looking for manuscripts. However, the overall aim of collecting 8 pages of the manuscript is quite limited and so the gameplay is a bit limited.

Technical issues

Note that you'll need WinZip or WinRAR to unpack this Slender game download.

Since Slender was originally released, there have been several spinoffs with varying degrees of quality. We tested them on the Softonic staff to see which one is the scariest so don't forget to check out how they got on:

Conclusion

Slender is an eerie horror game that's well worth trying whether or not you've ever heard of the Slender Man myth.

Download Slender: The Eight Pages 0.9.7 Beta in Softonic

Backups are increasingly important in an age of huge hard drives and large amounts of data that if lost, could be disastrous.

The best thing to do is automate backups so that you don't have to worry about them anymore. JaBack allows you to make automated backups of your important data, files and folders and save them immediately in ZIP format. The advantage of this is that you don't need any special software to unzip backups - you can simply use WinZip or WinRAR. Alternatively, the program supports the backing up of files to a remote location via FTP or options to Email it to your mail server. You can schedule backups so you don't need to worry about remembering to backup your more important data.

The danger of this however is that if the backup fails, you may not be made aware of the problem. Fortunately, the program e-mails you if this happens so you don't have to worry about bad or half done backups. You can change the date and time of filenames for archiving plus also copy files and directories using wildcards on schedule. This is useful if you need to specify a specific date for a backup that has to be performed on the same date or day every week or month.

JaBack is a fairly decent backup solution although there's no option to backup anything online and backing up can be a little slow to begin with. However, the fact that backups can be opened with a simple unarchiver make it very attractive for those looking for flexibility.

Scheduled backups and compressed output files that can be opened in any ZIP application make JaBack is a solid backup solution.

Download JaBack 9.15 in Softonic

This application not only includes support for extracting virtually any kind of file compression format, it also reduces file sizes and runs on almost any version of Windows, from 98 to Windows 7.

Some will argue that WinRAR isn’t as quick as rival WinZip at compressing files. However, for the small time difference, WinRAR leaves you with a significantly smaller archived file at the end of the process. What’s more, the application allows you to save files into both .ZIP and .RAR formats, with bunches of options for speeding up compression times and reducing file sizes.

Although many newcomers might be put off by the sheer range of features and settings within WinRAR, the interface doesn’t take long to get accustomed to. If you’re still really stuck there’s a simple wizard-based system that walks you through the process of extracting or compressing. All this adds up to make WinRAR a dependable utility that performs better than any other tool in its class.

Boasting more compression options, higher compression rates and smaller file sizes than WinZip, WinRAR is now the undisputed market leader in file compression.

Download WinRAR 4.20 in Softonic

Neither the download managers that come bundled with Firefox or IE are particularly impressive so it's a good idea to add a third party downloader or plugin, like Fresh Download.

Fresh Download claims it can "turbo charge" downloads to make them download in less than half the time they would normally. Fresh Download is a program that works with both FTP and HTTP protocols and gives you a whole range of control over how downloads are completed. Included is a pause and resume feature which is very useful for broken downloads or those downloads that suddenly and annoyingly time out. Fresh Download achieves such high speeds due to its ability to connect to multiple connections and it works across most major browsers. If you don't want to carry out downloads immediately, you can also schedule them on Fresh Download for a later date and it can even download links that you've copied to your clipboard or dragged into the main interface from your desktop. If you're downloading zip files, Fresh Download can also decompress them automatically with it's own Zip extractor although note that it's not particularly powerful or fast - you'd be better using WinZip or WinRAR.

Although you won't notice huge download speeds, you will notice an improvement and besides, this is a much easier way to manage downloads.

Download Fresh Download 8.73 in Softonic

The 7-Zip interface is similar to that of its competitors, with a main file manager and a command line to search and select files to extract or compress. The control panel has the essential basics like extract, add and test, as well as copy, move and delete functions to manage your files. 7-Zip extracts and compresses files as fast as WinZip and WinRAR and handles the main archive formats like ZIP, TAR, RAR and ISO.

The archiving process is where 7-Zip differs most from its rivals. Where WinZip only lets you compress to ZIP and WinRAR to RAR or ZIP, 7zip offers you up to 5 different archive formats to choose from. 7-Zip lets you choose the update mode, depending on whether you want to add and replace files, refresh the archive or just synchronize files. If you don’t want somebody opening up your archive without your permission, you can set a password to protect your archive.

We particularly liked the split tool as it can cut up your archive into equal parts which fit on a floppy, CD or DVD, handy if you need to distribute a particularly large archive. Unfortunately, security is where 7-Zip lags behind its main rivals. There is no option to scan archives for viruses and you can’t repair damaged or corrupted files.

7-Zip might not be as secure as WinZip or WinRAR but it is definitely more versatile. It works with more archive formats and offers many useful tools like update mode or splitting. If you feel too limited by WinZip and if you don’t like WinRAR, we suggest giving 7-Zip a try and taking advantage of all its possibilities.

Infinitely more flexible than its most famous rivals, 7-Zip is a great file compression tool.

Download 7-Zip 9.22 in Softonic

It Protects your privacy by preventing others from tracking your internet and web browsing activity. Eliminate wastes from your system by removing history files, cache and other web browsing activity in: Internet Explorer, Netscape, FireFox, Opera Browsers, Microsoft Media Player, Real Player, Kazaa/Morpheus, ICQ, etc.

Easy SpaceGuard enables you to delete the recent listing of documents and materials that you have accessed in Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word and over 118 popular applications.

You have the flexibility to remove some cookies or document listings while keeping others that you specify. Comprehensive Risk Assessment. Intuitive GUI that allows you to assess your risk of identity theft.

Disk wastes statistic/charts. This version includes a Windows Startup Manager to help you control which programs will launch when you start your computer.

Do you worry about Spyware? Easy SpaceGuard gives you the capability to kill (end task) processes and applications that may be Spyware. Improved Graphical User Interface You now have total control on what to clean Clean Internet Explorer Cache and History Clean Firefox browser cache and History Clean Netscape browser cache and HistoryClean Opera browser cache and History Clears Media Player history Clears RealOne history Internet and Local Search Assistant history Clean history for many applications Microsoft Office 2000 to 2003 Recent file list Ahead Nero file history Google Internet search history Yahoo Internet search history Winzip and WinRAR history and many more Clears the Windows Temp folder Empties the Recycle bin Waste statisticsWindows Startup ManagerCookies Manager Allows you to add file exceptions Allows you to customize Easy SpaceGuard to avoid deleting specified files, even if they are in the temporary folders.

Scans your system and gives you a comprehensive statistic of wastes. Provides you with a comprehensive Privacy and Risk Assessment Report.

Allows you to schedule Auto Clean sessions and more. Designed from ground up with Microsoft. NET Framework. This is a fully MultiThreaded System, that monitors and keep your computer running at peak performance.

1 Full year of free upgrade.

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Unlike other compressors such as WinZip or WinRAR, Hamster Free ZIP Archiver features a very stylish interface that makes use of transparency and blurring effects, thus making you focus attention on certain areas.

Hamster Free ZIP Archiver is also very easy to use, with support for dragging and dropping files, and easy, colorful buttons for the program’s various options: compression level, archive splitting and password protection.

That said, the truth is that Hamster Free ZIP Archiver is a bit slow in comparison with other similar tools, and also quite limited as regards supported formats – it only works with ZIP and 7Z.

Hamster Free ZIP Archiver is an attractive – thought somewhat limited – file compressing tool that’s simple enough for everyone to use.

Download Hamster Free ZIP Archiver 1.2.0.6 in Softonic

Protect your privacy by preventing others from tracking your internet and web browsing activity. Eliminate wastes from your system by removing history files, cache and other web browsing activity in: Internet Explorer, Netscape, FireFox, Microsoft Media Player, RealOne Player, Kazaa, Morpheus, ICQ, and AOL.

Easy SpaceGuard enables you to delete the listing of documents and materials that you have accessed in Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word and over 120 popular applications.

You have the flexibility to remove some cookies or document listings while keeping others that you specify. Comprehensive Risk Assessment. Intuitive GUI that allows you to assess your risk of identity theft.

Disk wastes statistic/charts. This version includes a Windows Startup Manager to help you control which programs will launch when you start your computer.

Do you worry about Spyware? Easy SpaceGuard gives you the capability to kill processes and query Google about applications that may be Spyware.

Improved Graphical User Interface You now have total control on what to clean Clean Internet Explorer Cache and History Clean Firefox browser cache and History Clean Netscape browser cache and History Clears Media Player history Clears RealOne history Internet and Local Search Assistant history Clean history for many applications Microsoft Office 2000 to 2003 Recent file list Ahead Nero file history Google Internet search history Yahoo Internet search history Winzip and WinRAR history and many more Clears the Windows Temp folder Empties the Recycle bin Waste statisticsWindows Startup ManagerCookies Manager Allows you to add file exceptions Allows you to customize Easy SpaceGuard to avoid deleting specified files, even if they are in the temporary folders.

Scans your system and gives you a comprehensive statistic of wastes. Provides you with a comprehensive Privacy and Risk Assessment Report.

Allows you to schedule Auto Clean sessions and more. Designed from ground up with Microsoft. NET Framework. This is a fully MultiThreaded System, that monitors and keep your computer running at peak performance.

Get it and worry no more. When you obtain a vaild License of Easy SpaceGuard, you will be able to upgrade to the latest full version as well and unlock all of the features reserved for registered users.

You also obtain premier phone and Email support as well as one full year of Free upgrade.

Download Ez SpaceGuard with Tutorial in Softonic

Apart from anything else, the best thing about ZipItFree is that it is completely free - no annoying registrations or fees to pay. That said, the installation process is very aggressive, with ZipItFree offering you bunches of extra software and changing the way it is presented in the hope that you'll slip up and install it. The program is fully functional with Vista and Windows 7, although the interface isn’t quite up to speed with similarly modern programs.

The key point of ZipItFree, however, is the way it compresses files using what the developers call the Black Hole method, which provides very high compression ratios and ultra fast decompression. This is so efficient, in fact, that ZipItFree is a serious rival to the giants of the file compression world, like WinZip and WinRAR.

The other major selling point is what they call the ZipV2 encryption algorithm which they describe as "by far the most secure encryption for archiving (hundreds of times more secure than even the leading AES encryption)". How secure this format is is debatable, but the fact is that it's one of the less utilized compression ratios that should mean it's less liable to attack.

Apart from the fact that ZipItFree handles multiple formats with ease, you can also leave comments on your archives describing what the archive contains so you don't have to go to the hassle of unzipping it all to look inside. If you can overlook the ugly packaging, ZipItFree is a file compressor to be reckoned with.

For a free and powerful alternative to WinZIP and WinRAR, ZipItFree is one of the most impressive efforts out there.

Download ZipItFree 2.17 in Softonic

It's pretty easy to fill up your computer with stuff nowadays. Even if you have a huge hard drive, there's still the risk of running out of space in short order. Good thing there are file compression programs like WinRAR Unplugged to help you make some room.

Much like other file compression programs like PeaZip and WinZip, WinRAR Unplugged's main goal is to give you more space on your computer. It does this by compressing files to make them smaller. Easy to use and navigate, WinRAR Unplugged's interface may not be much to write home about, but it gets the job done.

The program is also portable, meaning you can save it to a USB drive and take it with you on the go. You can compress files with WinRAR Unplugged virtually anywhere you go. In addition, the compression rate's second to none with this tool. You can also choose to make use of the non-portable but still highly popular version just called WinRAR.

WinRAR Unplugged is a great little file compression tool you can take with you anywhere you go.

Download WinRAR Unplugged 3.8.0.1 in Softonic

- Rename Files tool is now included, easy and quick mass renamer. - Eliminate Duplicate Text/Emails from Text Files/Distribution Lists - Graphics presentation, with Bar and Pie statistical presentation, detailed scan results summary.

- Filters and Exclusions. - Horizontal/Vertical presentation of results. - New Text Differences: a text file comparator. Analyses two text files and shows an easy to understand and merge information about lines added, modified and deleted.

Analyze from Files or Clipboard content. - New Convert Text Files from Unix/Linux lt;gt; Windows/DOS formats: allows to convert files to required target format (Unix/DOS) easy.

- New Creates Dummy File: Specify file name, desired size (from 0 Bytes) and it creates a quot;dummyquot; file with that name and size. - Favorites Folders: easy access of your frequently used folders from the system tray, launch in Explorer or MS-DOS Prompt.

- External Software options: users can define external programs to use with Comparator Fast results, easy! . - Integration with WinZip, WinRAR: auto detect these popular compression software to easy access, allowing backups of results on those compressed formats.

Users can define their own Zip and Rar software manipulation if WinZip / WinRAR are not installed. - Save Results to file: allow to save scan results to HTML, Text, Excel, Word, XML or Delimited (CSV).

Download Comparator Fast for Windows 1.0.0.27 in Softonic

It's support for compatible ZIP compression, standard storage places and backup password protection makes it an ideal solution for a Home user.

Compressed backups save a valuable storage place and you can restore your files with Windows Explorer or other software that support the ZIP format (Free JZip, WinZip, WinRar.

). Simple User InterfaceSimple and powerfull graphic user interface keeps you up to date with all defined backup operations. ZIP Compression and EncryptionCompatible compression saves storage space and makes the backup files portable.

Backups can be opened with all popular ZIP software such as free JZip, 7zip, WinZip and WinRar. Use the built-in password protection for complete data security.

Copy Open Files The standout feature of Home version is the abillity to copy locked files or files open by other software. It uses the cutting edge Windows Volume Shadow Copy system (VSS) that enables you to access your data at any time.

Standard StoragesThis basic version supports the standard storages on the local hard drives, usb sticks and network shares. It's abillity to backup to CD or DVD mediums and internet FTP servers makes it a good choice for a home user.

Daily ScheduleCreate daily schedules of your backup set operations. You can also set the backup interval and start and stop times. Simple and enough for most users.

Need more? Creation of a daily backup with documents and pictures stored on the hard drives just got easier. For more advanced features and a built in restore operations see the Standard or Professional editions.

Download RescueCopy Home 2 in Softonic