Making use of this file compression can reduce the storage requirements of files a lot. The highest gains are achieved by compressing formerly uncompressed files, like text documents, emails or executables. The gain is insignificant for files that are already compressed, including jpg photos, mp3 music files, or avi movies.

NTFS Compression in a nutshell:

• NTFS compression is only available on volumes that use the NTFS file system
• It can be used to compress files and folders
• Files are decompressed automatically, and they appear as before in Windows.
• By default, NTFS compressed files and folders use different colors to distinguish them from standard files and folders./li>
• Users may experience a performance decrease when working with compressed files, as Windows needs to decompress them first before they can be used. This is usually not a big issue on modern PC systems.

How To Compress Folders and Files

The option to compress files or folders in Windows is directly available in Windows Explorer. To compress a file or folder perform the following tasks:

• Right-click the files or folders that need to be compressed and select Properties from the context menu. Take notice of the size on disk value, which lists the storage space requirements of the selected folders and files on the disk.
• Click on the Advanced button in the General tab, this opens an Advanced Attributes window.
• Select Compress contents to save disk space, click OK on the previous window, and then select to apply the changes either to the selected file or folder only, or all subfolders, and files as well.

compress contents save disk pace

The properties window stays open if Apply was selected to complete the compression. The size on disk value will now show the compressed size on the disk. You may notice that this can be considerably less depending on the files selected.

Folders and files can be uncompressed the same way. The only different is that the checkmark in third step of the process needs to be removed.

Please note that it is not advised to compress files and folders that are part of performance intensive tasks. These tasks include gaming, large files that need to be saved and loaded many times throughout the day or files that are used by the operating system.

Compression works best for files that are not used a lot, that are uncompressed and not part of performance intensive tasks. Office documents for instance are perfect for compression.

Windows 7 automatically displays compressed folders in different colors. Other operating systems may not, to change that perform the following operation:

1. Double-click Folder Options in Control Panel.
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. Click Appearance and Themes, and then click Folder Options.
4. On the View tab, click to select the Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color check box.

Have you experience with NTFS compression? Share it with us in the comments.

Although 7-Zip is available for both Windows and Linux, only the Windows port has a GUI front end. This means, by default, using 7-Zip in Linux requires the use of commands. Normally this is fine, but the 7-Zip commands can be fairly confusing (even to the experienced user). Fortunately 7-Zip does integrate well with the GNOME and KDE desktops. And it has a front end available. This front end is Q7z and was not created nor is maintained by the makers of 7-Zip.

In this article I will show you how to install and use the Q7Z front end for 7-zip on Linux.

Installation

Although you will find various packages on the Q7Z download page, you should avoid the pre-packaged binaries. Instead you will want to download the Autopackage File, which should work on just about any Linux distribution. Once you have downloaded that file you will need to open up a terminal and follow these steps;

1. Change to the directory holding the Autopackage File.
2. Give the file executable permissions with the command chmod u+x q7z-XXX-package Where XXX is the release number.
3. Issue the command sudo ./q7z-XXX-package Where XXX is the release number.

The installer will begin and walk you through the process. The only interaction necessary is for you to enter your sudo password twice. The Autopackage installer will automatically download all of the dependencies for you and run the full install process. When the installer closes you can then run Q7Z with the command Q7Z.pyw.

Usage

Figure 1

When you fire up the Q7Z tool, the main window should be fairly obvious to figure out. But just in case, let’s take a look at the process of compressing a folder.

Step 1: Click on the Locations tab.

Step 2: Click on the “Dir” button.

Step 3: Navigate to the folder you want to compress and click Open.

Step 4: If you want the compressed archive to be saved in a different location click the check box for “Destination” and then supply an alternate destination for your archive.

Step 5: Go back to the Specifications tab and specify the type of compression you want and any other options you might want to use. From this tab you can also create a self extracting archive (.exe file) as well as password protect your compressed files.

Step 6: Click the Create button.

Depending upon the size of the archive, the process could take some time.

Extracting

You can also extract archives with this same tool. The process is very similar to the creation of archive, only you work in reverse and you are using the Extract tab. The extraction process can extract the same file types that are supported with the compression (zip, 7z, bunzip2, tar, gzip, XZ).

Final thoughts

If you aren’t happy with your compression tool, you might want to give Q7Z and 7-zip a go. It offers solid compression, password protection, varied compression levels. and much more – all in an easy to use GUI interface. And if you’re not terribly happy with G7Z, 7-zip does integrate with Nautilus, so you can use that instead.

In this article I am going to de-mystify Linux file compression and archiving for you. By the end of the article you’ll be compressing and decompressing files in your sleep. And, as a bonus, you’ll know how to do this both via command line and GUI.

Compression versus archiving

The difference between compression and archiving is simple: Compression makes a file (or directory) smaller and Archiving takes many seperate files (such as a directory containing sub-directories and/or files) and turns it into a single file. You can have a compressed archive (such as .tar.gz or .tgz) and you can even have an archive of compressed files (such as a directory that contains a bunch of compressed files). But how do you know what are compressed files verses archived files? Here’s a list of file extensions and what they are.

.tar – This is an uncompressed Tar archive file. This type of archive is unpacked with the command tar xvf file.tar.

.tgz – This is a compressed Tar archive file. This type of archive is decompressed and unpacked with the command tar xvzf file.tgz.

.gz – This is a file compressed with the gzip program. This type of file is decompressed with the command gunzip file.gz.

.zip – This is a compressed file. This type of file is decompressed with the command unzip file.zip

.bz2 – This is a compressed file. This type of file is decompressed with the command bunzip2 file.bz2.

Which compression to use?

Of the three compression utilities (bzip2, zip, and gzip) the tool that will result in the most compression (the smallest file) is bzip2. The only disadvantage to bzip2 is that the algorithm uses more processor to complete than does the other utilities.

If you are sharing your compressed files with Windows users your best bet is to use zip for compression. Although there are tools (such as Stuffit Deluxe for Windows) that can handle bz2 files, the default supported is .zip.

Using the GUI

If you are a fan of the GUI (and who isn’t these days?) you will be glad to know that most all Linux file managers can handle compressed and archived files. In both Nautilus (GNOME) and Dolphin (KDE) you can simply right click a compressed, archived, or compressed archive file and select Extract. Both file managers also offer compression and archiving options when you right click a file or directory.

Final thoughts

Working with compression and archiving is very simple with the Linux operating system. You have plenty of options in both the command line and the GUI worlds.

The way Microsoft has implemented file compression in the operating system makes it difficulty to manage. That’s where the free software NTFS Ratio steps in.

NTFS Ratio can be used to analyse a folder structure on a hard drive that has been formatted with the NTFS file system. The program displays all files and folders in that structure as well as their compression status and ratio. The application will also display total stats for all files and folder in the file structure.

The list can be printed or copied to the clipboard. The reporting feature can be interesting for users who want to analyse the file compression on their computer system, especially its effectiveness. A right-click on a folder or file provides a Windows Explorer like context menu with options to compress and decompress folders.

The results of these actions are directly displayed in the program’s interface. NTFS Ratio is a niche software for users who use NTFS file compression. The program is compatible with most Windows operating systems including Windows 7. It can be downloaded from the developer’s website (German but should not pose a problem for non-German speakers).

WinRAR offers an option to integrate tightly into the Windows operating system during installation. This includes a very handy Windows Explorer entry which can be used to unpack or pack files directly in Windows Explorer.

The WinRAR interface has been streamlined for ease of use. The professionally looking theme can be changed easily to one of the other themes that are offered on the WinRAR website.

The interface itself can be divided into an header that contains the menu and program icons that lead to the most important functions of the file compression software and the file browser which displays files and contents of archives.

A right-click on any file in the file browser opens a context menu with several options ranging from viewing, renaming or deleting files to repairing archives or setting passwords.

Some of the functions are also available directly in the header like the ability to test the archive or view a specific file in an archive. The Wizard comes in handy for first time users as it directs the user through the process of creating or unpacking archives in the program.

Other direct options include performing a virus scan of the files contained in an archive or folder. WinRAR tries to discover installed virus scanners automatically which can then be selected from a pulldown menu. The user does have the option to browse the computer for a specific virus scanner and use that to scan the files which is handy for portable virus scanners or those that are not recognized by the automatic scan.

It is furthermore possible to add comments to archives and make them self extracting. The latter option can be handy in situations if no file compression software is installed on the target system or if the user of the target system wants (or requires) the easiest way of unpacking archived files (which self extracting archives are as they can be extracted with a simple double-click).

The Tools menu contains several advanced options like the tool to convert archives into rar or zip format. This is actually a very handy solution to convert multiple archives (that might have been compressed with different file compression algorithms) into a standard format like rar or zip. An option to add all archives of a specific format to that menu would be very handy. As of now it is only possible to add archives manually to the list.

Advanced users will like the amount of options that are provided during archive creation. The six-tabbed interface comes with so many options that it might look intimidating to some users although it is possible to simply click on the OK button to create the archive. Those users who look at the options provided on the other hand will find handy ones including the ability to change the compression level, splitting the files into several archives, adding a recovery record to the archive, setting passwords (that use the 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm), wiping files after archive creation, storing full or relative paths or sending the archive by email.

WinRAR features

• WinRAR provides complete support for RAR and ZIP archives and is able to unpack CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, ACE, UUE, BZ2, JAR, ISO, 7Z, Z archives.
• WinRAR offers a graphic interactive interface utilizing mouse and menus as well as the command line interface.
• WinRAR is easier to use than many other archivers with the inclusion of a special “Wizard” mode which allows instant access to the basic archiving functions through a simple question and answer procedure. This avoids confusion in the early stages of use.
• WinRAR offers you the benefit of industry strength archive encryption using AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with a key of 128 bits.
• WinRAR supports files and archives up to 8,589 billion gigabytes in size. The number of archived files is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.
• WinRAR offers the ability to create selfextracting and multivolume archives.
• Recovery record and recovery volumes allow to reconstruct even physically damaged archives.

Verdict:

WinRAR is a powerful file compression program for the Windows operating system that is suited for both inexperienced and advanced users. Especially advanced options like batch converting archives, adding recovery information to archives or the command line options make WinRAR a prime choice for all archiving needs. Interested users can download a trial version at the WinRAR download page.

Christmas Giveaway

Readers who leave a comment get the chance to win a WinRAR licenses. We have ten licenses for WinRAR 3.90 in this giveaway. Please tell us why you use WinRAR, if you use it, or why you don’t use WinRAR, if you don’t use it. We will select the best 10 insightful comments as our winners, regardless whether they use WinRAR or not.

Raju is giving away licenses for Speedbit Video Accerlerator today, be sure to check out his giveaway as well.

Unlike its name might suggest Winzip 14 is not only compatible with zip files but with the most popular compression formats including rar, 7z, gzip, tar and disk image formats like iso or img. Winzip, since the release of version 12.1 even comes with its own zipx compression format which reduces the file size of archives further.

Winzip 14 integrates nicely into the Windows operating system after installation. Actually, the installation is giving the user control over the level of integration. It is possible to add Winzip to the right-click context menu of Windows Explorer which can then be used to compress and process selected files without having to open the program first.

The main interface can be started in classic or wizard mode. Classic mode gives the user total control over the interface while the wizard aids the user in performing popular tasks like creating a new zip file or zipping important documents.

Winzip 14 comes with full Windows 7 support which includes jumplists and a progress meter in the taskbar when Winzip is active, a preview pane in Windows Explorer that can be used to preview contents of supported compression formats as well as library and touch screen support.

Winzip 14 is actually more than just a file compression software as it offers file encryption, file backup and sharing options as well. Here is a list of the some of the features that Winzip 14 provides:

• Encrypt data with AES-128 or AES-256 encryption
• Auto-wipe (“shred”) temporarily extracted copies of encrypted files
• Password Policies for encrypting data with Winzip
• Photo and image resizing when sending them per email
• Outlook 2007 zip previews
• Data backup of important files and folders

One of the biggest improvements in Winzip 14 are jobs that can be created. Jobs make it very easy to run specific tasks with the option to schedule these tasks so that they are run regularly.

Winzip 14 comes with several preconfigured jobs that include zipping the My Documents folder, all Windows 7 libraries, the Pictures library only or zipping My Email.

The creation of jobs in Winzip 14 is similar to the creation of backup jobs in backup software. It begins by selecting files and folders that should be included in the job. This can be customized by using file filters to exclude or include specific files and folders in the job.

The user then selects the type of job which ranges from a simple compression of all files and folders to differential or incremental data backups.

The compression, encryption, folder info and size limits (to span and split files) can be configured in step 3. The password encryption supports up to 256-BIT AES encryption but can also be configured for maximum compatibility which would make the encryption weaker but more compatible.

The job can save the contents to a folder on a local or remote hard disk or on removable media like CD or DVD. The last step reveals additional storage options (ftp or email) and can also be used to schedule the created job.

Winzip 14 makes it very easy to create these jobs which are mainly used for backing up files and folders (regularly). It can on the other hand also be used to sync folders or to send emails to a recipient regularly.

Registered users of Winzip 14 can download the WinZip Command Line add-on which enables them to use Winzip from the command line and in batch files. Winzip 14 has a definite advantage when it comes to features that it offers in addition to the core file compression module. Especially the data backup and sharing options (email clients) make it a very interesting choice.

A trial version of Winzip 14 can be downloaded from the main Winzip homepage.

Giveaway:

We have ten Winzip 14 Pro licenses for you. If you want to win one of the licenses reply to this thread and let us know why you’d like to win the license.

Our partner site Windows 7 News is also running a giveaway. You can win a Giganews Platinum account and more today. Check it out.

Our second partner TechPP are giving away 30 Internet Download Manager (IDM) v5.18 licenses. Check them out as well.

The giveaway starts on 12:00 CET and ends 24 hours later on the next day. The winners of the licenses will be notified by email, make sure you include your email in the comment.

NTFS data compression has another advantage over popular file compression utilities. Since it is implemented in the file system the data compression is performed transparently. The filenames of compressed files stay the same and applications can access them as usual.

There are a few limitations though. One of the most important ones is that it is not possible to move compressed files to another file system. This means that it is not possible to move a compressed file from a NTFS file system to a Fat32 system.

AutoCompress is a lightweight portable data compression software that runs on all Windows NT based operating systems that make use of the NTFS file system. This includes Windows XP and Windows Vista. The tool can automatically compress and uncompress data in a specific directory. It does so by analyzing all files in a selected directory: age, size and data compression ratio.

The default values for compression are a file age of at least 28 days, a minimum size of 8192 bytes and a data compression ratio of at least 50%.

These values can be changed by the user. Similar values exist for uncompressing files of a selected directory.

AutoCompress is a sweet 13 Kilobyte data compression software. It could use some tinkering like implementing a browser to pick the directory to be analyzed or a better help file but those are minor issues. If you are looking for a good NTFS data compression software you might want to give AutoCompress a try.

Three parameters can be defined to determine if a file should be compressed or uncompressed.

Bitser comes with an interface that is divided into two areas. One is displaying the contents of the compressed files with the other is displaying the directory structure. This makes it much easier to add files to an compressed archive without having to drag and drop contents from the Windows operating system into the application. Like most file compression programs Bitser supports a wide variety of file compression formats including the popular zip, rar and 7z formats.

The output formats are limited to zip, 7z or exe though. Bitser comes with the standard functionality of all file compression programs like password protecting archives, drag and drop support and the integration into the operating system.

The interesting aspect of the program is the Explorer like interface. It can be used to browse many archives in relatively short time. The local file browser makes it possible to browse the computer system and inspect any compressed archives in no time. Another interesting option is the extensive reporting section which contains reports of previous operations. Reports contain information about files, sizes, dates, the compression algorithms, commands and results that can be saved in rft format for further analysis or archiving.

Bitser is a valid alternative for users who regularly work with compressed files in the Windows operating system. The interface makes it a tad easier to work with those files which puts it ahead of most other file compression programs. It does require the Microsoft .net Framework 3.5 and will run on Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

If you are just looking for a file compression software that can extract archive contents you might be better off with a tool like 7-zip or the Universal Extractor.