WinZip Pro
Version 29.0.16416 · WinZip Computing · Windows 10 / 11 (32-bit and 64-bit) · ranked #160 in the library
The compression utility that put the word zip into ordinary use, now grown into a file management package with encryption, backup scheduling, cloud connectors and a converter pipeline attached to the archiver.
Read the installation section below before you start. The order of the steps matters on this release.
About this release
Overview
WinZip is the oldest name in desktop compression and the Pro tier is a considerably larger program than the archiver most people remember. The core is still there and still fast: create and open ZIP and ZIPX archives, extract from a long list of other formats including 7Z, RAR, TAR, GZ, CAB, ISO and LHA, split large archives into parts, and drive all of it from the shell context menu without opening the main window.
What the Pro tier adds is the workflow around the archive rather than the compression itself. Files can be converted on the way in, so images are resized, documents are turned into PDF and photos are watermarked as they are added. Archives can be encrypted with AES at 128 or 256 bit and signed, and there is a backup scheduler that runs a defined job on a timetable to a local folder, a network share or a connected storage service. The duplicate finder and the large file scanner clean up the source folders before you compress them, which is usually where the real space saving is.
The cloud and sharing side connects to the common storage services and to mail, so an archive can be built and handed off without a manual upload step, with a link produced instead of an attachment when the file is too large to send. Everything is driven from a ribbon interface with a file pane, and every operation is also available as a background job from the context menu for the cases where the full window is more than the task needs. This build is activated with no trial counter and no reminder window.
What it does
Feature breakdown
ZIP and ZIPX compression
The standard ZIP format for maximum compatibility and the ZIPX format when ratio matters more, with per-file method selection based on file type.
Wide extraction support
Opens 7Z, RAR, TAR, GZ, BZ2, CAB, ISO, LHA, ARJ and several legacy formats alongside its own.
AES encryption and archive signing
128 and 256 bit AES on archive contents, with certificate based signing for anything that has to be verifiable on arrival.
Scheduled backup jobs
Define a source set and a destination, then run it on a timetable to a local drive, a network share or a connected storage service.
Convert on add
Resize images, watermark photos, convert documents to PDF and reduce photo quality automatically as files are placed into the archive.
Duplicate finder and cleanup tools
Locate duplicate files and unusually large ones across drives before compressing, which saves more space than any compression setting will.
Changed in this build
Version 29.0.16416
- Faster compression on multi-core processors with better work distribution across large file sets.
- Improved handling of very large archives beyond the classic size limits of the original format.
- Backup jobs now retry a failed destination once before reporting the run as failed.
- Refreshed ribbon layout with a denser option for users working on smaller displays.
- Fixed a shell extension conflict that could slow the right click menu on machines with several archivers installed.
Installation
Follow these in order
- Uninstall any older WinZip build first, the shell extensions from two versions fight over the context menu.
- Go offline before running setup.
- Extract the archive to a local drive.
- Disable real time protection for the install.
- Run the installer as administrator and choose the file associations you want it to take.
- Launch WinZip once, confirm no trial counter appears in the title bar, then re-enable protection.
Release notes
From whoever packed it
- Leave the update checker disabled. An update restores the trial state and the reminder window with it.
- Both architectures are in the archive. Use the 64-bit build unless the machine is genuinely 32-bit.
- Cloud connectors are present but need accounts you supply yourself. Nothing is pre-configured.
System requirements
Minimum and recommended
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11, 32-bit or 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz or faster, multicore recommended for large compression jobs |
| Memory | 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended |
| Graphics | No specific requirement, 1024 by 768 minimum resolution |
| Storage | 400 MB for a full install with all components |
Questions about this release
Answered before you ask
- Does it still show the reminder window?
- No. Activation is applied during setup and the counter never appears.
- Can it create RAR archives?
- It extracts them but does not create them. Use ZIP or ZIPX for creation.
- What is the difference between ZIP and ZIPX?
- ZIPX uses newer compression methods for a better ratio. ZIP opens anywhere, so use it when the recipient is unknown.
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