Self-extracting Zip archives are one of the most advantageous ways of distributing files over the Internet.
The interface of WinZip Self-Extractor is actually a “wizard” that lets you create a self-extracting ZIP archive while going through all possible options, one-by-one. I personally think that this step-by-step procedure of creating the self-extracting ZIP files is a big plus, as it allows any kind of users, including the inexperienced ones, to easily operate this tool.
Another nice aspect of this application is the fact that it lets you check and configure many parameters of the self-extracting Zip archive. It lets you split the archive into multiple smaller pieces, create text boxes containing any messages you want, choose a specific folder where the archive should be unzipped, set up commands to be executed after the unzipping, select any icon you prefer for the self-extracting archive, and more.
As you can see, WinZip Self-Extractor is not only simple and user-friendly, but also complete and effective. Unfortunately, I think its price is pretty high for such product and could discourage people from even trying it.
Pros
- Allows you to choose any icon you prefer for the self-extracting archive
- Can create archives that span multiple removable disks
- Various commands can be set to be optionally executed after the unzipping
Cons
- An option to switch from the wizard interface to a classical type of interface could be considered useful by many users
- The price is a bit too high
- If you need to create a new archive instead of converting an existing one to a self-extracting one, the full version of the WinZip product is required
new and great