Archived programs are an Internet trademark. Designed to compress and aggregate a collection of files into one easily manageable file, archives make downloading, transferring, and serving applications over the Internet much easier and more efficient than would otherwise be possible. The most common method for archiving has traditionally been the ZIP file, a format first offered by PKWare back in the mid-eighties. While today the popularity and technology of ZIP files have largely been supplanted by self-extracting archives, ZIP files remain prevalent on the 'net and are still one of the most frequently encountered archive technologies. The only problem with archived files is that, as a result of their compressed state, working with the individual files that have been stored within the archive involves first decompressing the archive. The first generation of tools created for the purpose of compressing and decompressing archives were primarily DOS-based programs (PKZip being the most prominent) that served their purpose but paled in comparison to their next generation counterparts. Clients like Winzip and WinPack are examples of the second generation of archive management tools. These applications make use of the Windows interface in order to facilitate the process of compressing and decompressing file archives as well as the ability to perform file management tasks on the files contained within the archives (for example, viewing, executing, and renaming individual files). These tools have been must-have applications for anyone who uses the Internet on a regular basis. WinZip in particular has attracted a cult-like following. Still, despite their attractive interfaces and wealth of features, all of the second-generation tools suffer from at least two shortcomings. First, file archives still must be entirely decompressed before you can run any of the applications stored within. Second, these tools lack the full functionality of a true file management program like the Windows Explorer. For example, while you can use a client like WinZip to view, remove, or extract individual files, there is no way to execute programs, edit or rename a file, move a collection of files, search for a specific file, or even perform common tasks like drag 'n' drop into and out of an archive. Thankfully, the third generation of archive management tools has arrived in the form of ZipFolders. This is an amazing application whose technology allows for all of the above tasks as well as many, many more. In its most basic form, ZipFolders is a virtual device driver that is automatically loaded by the operating system when your computer boots up. The driver allows Windows to treat ZIP archives as normal directories. These virtual folders, the contents of which are the actual contents of the archive, are called Zif folders (labeled with a .zif extension) and are made visible to all applications. Additionally, any file management actions performed on these folders are actually made to the archived ZIP file and the files contained within that ZIP file. For example, if you use the Windows 95 Explorer to move files into or out of a Zif folder, you are actually moving files into or out of the ZIP file itself. Thanks to the ZipFolders technology, now you can use archives with the applications and file management programs that you are most comfortable with. And nearly every file maintenance task imaginable can be performed with Zif folders using a client like the Windows 95 Explorer or even third-party utilities. Of course, there is a slight drop in performance when working with Zif folders as opposed to regular folders or directories. This is because while you perform file management tasks on Zif folders, the files within the archive are automatically compressed or decompressed for you in the background. Depending on your needs, you can instruct ZipFolders to use greater or lesser levels of compression in order to receive a corresponding decrease or increase in overall performance. This is an especially useful tool for Internet users as you can run any program or game directly from a Zif folder -- there's no need to first decompress a installation file to a temporary location and then run the installer for the program. Other uses for ZipFolders include storing seldom used files in Zif folders in order to save hard drive space, quickly transferring files or directories between computers while still retaining the ability to immediately access individual files, archiving entire directories for backup or temporary storage purposes, and much, much more. And for the archival purists, ZipFolders also offers the more traditional methods for compressing and decompressing ZIP archives via 'Zip to' and 'Unzip to' options. Support for file encryption, multi-volume ZIP archives (multi-disk spanning), conversion capabilities for other archive formats (including ARJ, TAR, LZH/LHA, ZOO, Z, GZ, and TAZ), an option for adding comment additions to ZIP files, and self-extracting archive creation capabilities are all available for compressing and decompressing archives with ZipFolders. With its advanced technology, an abundance of features and configuration options, and an inexpensive price tag (just under $30), ZipFolders is an impressive app by all measures and may take the prize for overall ease of use. Watch out WinZip -- ZipFolders has arrived! Pros: Amazing technology that allows you to work with ZIP files as if they were normal directories, tons of features Cons: Lacks WinZip's simple one-step install/try/uninstall feature, doesn't work with all archive formats For the latest information on ZipFolders, check out: http://cws.iworld.com/32comp.html#zifolder