WinRAR Officially Releases Free Personal Edition with New Features
WinRAR is a paid archiving software. Many users mistakenly believe it is a built-in Microsoft tool because cracked versions are often pre-installed on Ghost systems. In reality, it has no relation to Microsoft and has always been a commercial product. However, good news has arrived: WinRAR has officially announced that the personal edition is now completely free to download and use. Users accustomed to WinRAR are encouraged to try it.
WinRAR Latest Features
- Changes in Compression Algorithms: The maximum compression dictionary size in the 64-bit version of WinRAR has increased to 1GB. The 32-bit version can use a 256MB dictionary when creating compressed files.
- RAR 5.21 Compression Format: For more details, please refer to the "Configuration Settings" chapter in the WinRAR help file, specifically the "WinRAR.ini file" section.
- Removed Features: The reliability of the authentication function did not meet the required level, so this feature has been removed.
- XZ Compression Format: Support for decompressing XZ compression format files has been added.
- Changes in Encryption Algorithms: In CBC mode, the encryption algorithm has changed from AES-128 to AES-256. The key derivation function is now based on PBKDF2 using HMAC-SHA256.
- Changes in Compression File Format: File timestamps are now stored in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) instead of local time, making file exchange across different time zones more intuitive.
Software Download: 32-bit Chinese Personal Free Version 64-bit Chinese Personal Free Version
Although the Chinese personal edition is completely free, netizens have complained about the annoying pop-up ads, suggesting that one cannot have both benefits. If you dislike ad pop-ups, it is recommended to use the WinRAR 4.20 Simplified Chinese Special Edition. Don't tell anyone.