ZIP OPTIONS

On the main window, click OPTIONS icon.

On the Options dialog, select ZIP tab.

    MODALITY

   COMPRESSION METHOD

   DEFLATE (default)

Mid-level compression, acceptable processing speed.

The "classic" and most commonly used zip algorithm.  Use this when you need compatibility with Windows integrated Compressed Folders utility.

   LZMA

High compression ratio, fast decompression.

   PPMd

High compression ratio, good processing speed.

Especially recommended for textual files.

   Bzip2

Good compression ratio, good processing speed.

   COMPRESSION LEVEL

   Fast

Less compression, shorter processing time.

Suitable for multimedia files already naturally compressed
(e.g.  jpg, gif, png, mp3, mp4, mpg, vob, avi)

   Normal

Good compression

   Maximum  (default)

High compression, longer processing time.

   Ultra

Highest compression, longest processing time,

most memory usage  (up to 5x the usage for "normal")

    EXTRA

   ENCRYPT
Encryption procedures for ZIP and 7Z archives

Secures archives with strong 256-bit AES encryption.

Encrypted ZIP archives can be browsed with any capable archiving utility, but contents cannot be opened/extracted without providing the password.

Encrypted 7Z archives cannot be browsed or extracted without providing the password; the filenames are encrypted as well as the file contents.

   Encrypt setting must be enabled for each session; a password must be created.

You can click the small button to the right of the password input field to toggle display of password characters.

Activation and password stay in effect for the current session unless you change it.

All archives will be automatically encrypted, and apply the configured password.

   When ATA exits, the password is discarded (for security), and Encrypt setting deactivates.  (See also note about using Encrypt with Auto-process.)

   When using ATA to extract an encrypted archive, you will be prompted for password.

If response is not correct, the prompt will repeat until the password is successful, or until you CANCEL.  If canceled, that archive extraction will list as Failed.

(Other archiving utilities won't allow multiple password attempts.)

   A successful password will be applied to subsequent archives during the current session, until ATA encounters a different password, and you will then be prompted again.

If you are distributing encrypted archives, users must be able to decrypt them. Compression tools integrated in Windows Explorer and in some file managers cannot decrypt Zip archives encrypted with AES‑256, only those with ZipCrypto algorithm.

If decryption will be a problem, consider creating encrypted self-extracting archives.