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    • PA 21.00.18 testing via context menu causes extraction of files

      D

      When the function for testing archives is invoked via the shell context menu (PowerArchiver > Test) then all the files in the archive get extracted to the current folder.

      The test dialog reports as many errors as there are files in the archive but it fails to give any hint as to which files are supposed to be erroneous or what the nature of the problem might be. Comparing the extracted files to the originals shows no differences at all.

      The .7z in question was produced with maximised compression settings in 7zip (taking forever but resulting in smaller archives than .7z produced by PowerArchiver with maximised settings). Therefore I wanted to see whether PowerArchiver can at least test .7z that it produced itself. Hence I had PowerArchiver convert a .pa with the same contents to .7z. There weren’t any errors reported but the resulting .7z contained fewer than half of the files contained in the .pa (137 of 366), so I scratched that test.

      Performance is abysmal when testing via the context menu (e.g. almost 2 minutes for testing a .7z that 7zip tests in 4 seconds), but that is most likely due to the fact that the extracted files are written to disk. Testing the same .7z in the PowerArchiver GUI takes only 8 seconds but causes the mysterious appearance of a UAC dialog, as reported elsewhere.

      The testing function is vital because PowerArchiver has a history of producing archives that it cannot unpack without errors or that do not conform to the respective file format standards (e.g. ZIP) so that other programs report them as erroneous.

      The point of creating archives is that the files in them will most likely have to be extracted at some point. If the extraction cannot be guaranteed to produce correct results then the whole program is absolutely pointless. Actually, worse than pointless - it causes data loss and hence damage.

      Tech Support
    • Start PowerArchiver 2023 Starter when my computer starts

      Brian Gregory

      In PowerArchiver 2023 22.00.06 configuration, the option labelled “Start PowerArchiver 2023 Starter when my computer starts” seems to be redundant.

      I am only allowed to change this option when PA Starter is disabled, and then it seems to be ignored.

      When I enable PA Starter this option is forced to the enabled state.

      I think it’d be good to remove “Start PowerArchiver 2023 Starter when my computer starts” completely. I’ve always found it confusing having both options.

      Added later: However i don’t particularly want to use queue but I do like having the PAStarter icon in my tray area.

      Tech Support
    • Testing .pa archives

      PA_Fan

      W10 Pro 22H2 - 64 -bit

      PA 22.00.06 (PA 2023)

      It has been the case with previous versions of PowerArchiver, but I had hoped that the latest might behave differently. Not so, I’m afraid.

      I have, for various obscure reasons, created a few .pa archives, mainly in the hope that they will save me some more space. From time to time, I use the “Test” option to check that important archives are OK and uncorrupted.

      With every .pa archive I’ve tested, the process runs through OK but then reports that there are errors. This is always the number of files in the archive e.g. if 11 files, then 11 errors reported.

      In the .pa, I can:-

      preview the files (usually PDF) extract some or all files and look at or use them convert the .pa to a .zip or .zipx archive, which then works fine and tests without errors

      Is it the case that the Test routine isn’t designed for .pa archives, or is there another reason? Although the .pa seems to function properly, despite the test reporting errors, I would like to be sure that every .pa is OK and not “broken”.

      Some of the .pas are quite old and produced with earlier PA versions (they are truly “archives”). If I extract all the files in the old .pa, create a new, fresh .pa and add back the files to that, then test the new, no errors (at least in the .pa I’ve tried this on) are reported. This would suggest a mismatch between old .pas and newer versions of PA itself.

      Tech Support
    • PA 21.00.18 Action / Test behaves oddly for me on .PA files

      Brian Gregory

      PA 21.00.18 running on Windows 7 64 bit.
      I made a big .PA file and thought I’d check it was made correctly with Menu / Actions / Test.
      Discovered:
      a) PA always issues a UAC prompt to do this!
      b) PA always says there are many errors in PA files.

      Tech Support
    • Small UI / Theme bug in 2023

      Z

      Clipboard02.jpg

      See the, supposedly, blank space where the green box is? It’s like that in Modern Light theme too. I can toggle it, but it’s missing text or shouldn’t be there I guess?

      Thanks :)

      Tech Support
    • PowerArchiver and PACL for macOS

      spwolf

      Dear @Alpha-Testers and all of our users,

      time has come for testing of PowerArchiver and PACL for macOS.
      Please let us know here if you have Mac and can test latest builds.

      Features implemented:
      PowerArchiver 2020 - tabbing, opening, extracting, adding, testing, favorite folders, support for multiple languages, opening via Finder, explorer mode, installer.
      PACL 10 - support for most formats and features in Windows version.

      Upcoming: Tools such as archive converter, batch zip, multi-extract.

      To start testing, please sign up here in this thread, and we will send you latest build.

      thank you!

      Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h54m56s_008_.png Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h55m05s_009_.png Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h55m14s_010_.png Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h55m30s_011_.png Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h55m39s_012_.png Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h55m49s_013_.png Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h56m00s_014_.png Ashampoo_Snap_Wednesday, November 20, 2019_12h54m43s_007_.png

      76e97ab9-8d75-4175-9ce8-446500031f38-image.png

      Tech Support
    • Functions in Windows 11 context menu no longer work after last Windows Update

      T

      For some reason, the PowerArchiver functions in the Windows 11 context menu no longer work after the last Windows Update. Only the functions in the classic context menu function as they should.

      I’ve tried uninstalling PowerArchiver and using RevoUninstaller to remove all bits and pieces that were left behind and did a clean install of PowerArchiver, it didn’t fix the issue. Other items in the Windows 11 context menu work.

      Tech Support

    Optimized method not really optimized….

    Tech Support
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    • S
      sjan26s2 last edited by

      I’m using the latest build of PowerArchiver 2016 16.00.69. I am the kind of person who loves the best compression possible within a fair time.
      I have tested the 7-Zip option and have set it to Optimized method and Ultra (memory req.) compression and have solid archive enabled.
      I expected this to give the best possible compression, but this is not so.
      For example, on the following file “Ashampoo Anti-Virus 1.2.0.exe” which is 158,458 KB, I get the following results:

      7-Zip (Optimized method) -> 159,945 KB
      7-Zip (LZMA2 method + everything else same) -> 157,863 KB

      I expected that the Optimized method would take into account the big initial file size and use the LZMA2 method to get the smallest possible compressed file.

      Why isn’t that the case?

      Also, just a suggestion. Put in an option that uses all methods automatically and performs the compression multiple times and then leaves you with the best compressed file possible for that format (7-Zip, RAR, CAB, etc).
      For example, if I select to get smallest file with 7-Zip, it does the compression several times using the different methods and then leaves me with the smallest file it could end up with after its all been run.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • M
        Mili conexware last edited by

        confirmed and noted!

        thanks for taking the time to provide the details

        S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • S
          sjan26s2 @Mili last edited by

          Please provide updates as something more comes to light regarding this.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • N
            nikkho Alpha Testers last edited by

            Can confirm at least in 17.00 problem is fixed. Nevertheless, ratio on Optimized compression, is not as good as in the official 7-Zip, so I will fill a new post.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • spwolf
              spwolf conexware last edited by

              try the same files with .pa format now :)

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • N
                nikkho Alpha Testers last edited by

                I have compressed full PowerArchiver x64 portable in my SSD disk, so it is easy for you to reproduce.

                • Uncompressed size: 176.473.679 bytes.
                • 7-Zip 17.00 Ultra LZMA 128MB fb273 myx=9: 28.330.063 bytes.
                • PowerArchiver 7z 17.00.69 LZMA Ultra: 29.060.624 bytes.
                • 7-Zip 17.00 Ultra LZMA2 128MB fb273 myx=9: 28.323.572 bytes.
                • PowerArchiver 17.00.69 7z LZMA2 Ultra: 29.062.095 bytes.
                • PowerArchiver 17.00.69 7z Optimized Ultra: 41.579.382 bytes.

                Take a look at the bad results with the Optimized profile, and also at the equivalent PA implementation, being slightly worse than the one in 7-Zip, meaning that the library used or its parameters, are subobtimal.

                By the way, same with PA format, excellent results:

                • PowerArchiver 17.00.69 pa Extreme Optimize Strong: 27.114.421 bytes.
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