Using Optimal Archive

Optimal Archive is a compression program that supports compressing zip files and can view and uncompress zip, tar, rar, arj, files.

Optimal Archive files look and act like windows folders. This feature makes it easier to view the contents of your archived files, add file by simply dragging them into the destination folder inside the file, or uncompress the files by simply dragging the files to the desired destination.

Preferences

To access the Optimal Archive preferences you must first select an archived file on your Desktop™ . The Preferences menu will be activated in your tools menu. You can also right click on your archived file to get to the Preferences menu.

Property Settings

You can create zip files, self-extracting archived files with an .exe extension. These files do not require a zip program to uncompress. You can also create multi-volume archived files for storing and transporting or emailing large archived files.

File Associations

Here you can specify which file types you want associated with the Optimal Archive application. In other words the checked files will be handled by the Optimal Archive application.

The file association preferences are also available for the Tools > Customize Desktop Settings > Options > Archive Files menu.

View

In order to differentiate between archived file types and regular folders you can color-code your archived folders in this menu.

You can also specify if you want files opened or uncompressed when you double click on them from inside the archived file.