About the PkZip Archive/Compress Utility

PKZIP is a software program from a company named PkWare Inc. This utility archives (places multiple files into a single file) and compresses (reduces the storage space required to save a file and time to transmit a file over a network) DOS and Windows data files.

Some simple PicLan-IP distributions (native, mvBase, D3/NT) are built using the older 16-bit compatible PKZIP/PKUNZIP programs. These include archives that only contain files with names that adhere to the dos 8.3 file naming convention. Newer PicLan-IP programs that require 32-bit file name support (Universe/NT, Unidata/NT) are built using the newer 32-bit version of PKZIP.

16-bit PkZip executables:

The 16-bit PkZip programs are:

PKZIP.EXE - Used to create archives
PKUNZIP.EXE - Used to extract files from archives

The most common version of PKZIP.EXE/PKUNZIP.EXE are version 2.04G

32-bit PkZip executables:

The 32-bit PkZip program is:

PKZIP25.EXE - Used both to create archives and extract files from archives.

Modular Software is currently using the 2.5 version of this utility (thus the PKZIP25.EXE file name).

Which versions should I use?

If you are running under Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT, you should probably use the 32-bit version PKZIP25.EXE. Most examples in the PicLan-IP download directions use the PKZIP25.EXE syntax.

If you are running under Windows 3.1 or DOS, then you will need to use the 16-bit version PKZIP.EXE/PKUNZIP.EXE. This percludes your installing PicLan for some Win32 specific platforms, but if you are running Windows 3.1 or DOS, you do not care about these anyway.

Where can I get this software?

These programs are copyrighted programs that are distributed as shareware. You can download them from:

PkWare, Inc.

Additionally, you can directly download the 32-bit PKZIP25.EXE file from PkWare's FTP server:

pkzip25.exe

Modular Software encourages all users of PkZip to register their copy. The license fee is low and the software quality is high.