Freeware ZIP creator that can split/span archives for 64-bit Win7

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I usually use WinRAR, but I needed to send a 35mb file to somebody at a Yahoo Mail account who didn't have winRAR and couldn't install it as their S/O had changed the admin password and forgot to tell them.

I discovered that while WinRAR can create and decompress ZIP archives, it will not split them into e-mailable chunks. I also found that my ancient MS-DOS era copy of PKZIP does not function on 64-bit computers and that WinZIP is trialware.

Can somebody suggest something else I can download for free to use on Windows 7 64-bit Professional to create split ZIP archives?

I wound up copying the file to my old Windows 98SE/Windows XP dual-boot computer, running PKZIP to split the archive into 4mb chunks, and then using a file share to send the e-mails.

Lots of things mention ZIP, not so many mention splitting the archive.

 

I normally use 7-zip. It's freeware, it's efficient. Hell, we even use it at work. I never made a split/span archive with 7-zip - last time I made a split archive was when I was still using floppies to ferry songs from the uni library to home - but apparently it's fairly easy.

 

7zip is open source software. Meaning you can muck with the code if you wanted.

 

I needed it for a situation where the person had a Yahoo mailbox and could not install software on the computer.
That means .ZIP format, not .7z and the e-mail attachments had to be under 5mb (or is it 10mb, I forgot). Either way I couldn't send them the 35mb file all at once.
I could have easily produced a split .RAR, it was the ZIP file that was giving me trouble. What I did was fire up a virtual machine running Windows XP, with undo disks enabled, downloaded WinZIP, installed it to the virtual machine as trial-ware, and created the split archive.
I'd have to reinstall WinZIP every time however, and was hoping for a long-term solution on the native OS.
I suppose I COULD in theory use XP mode to run PKZIP, or even dosbox, but again, I was hoping for a freeware solution.

 

7zip handles all those formats and a few others as well and can even create split archives as well.

The main features of 7-Zip

High compression ratio in 7z format with LZMA and LZMA2 compression
Supported formats:
Packing / unpacking: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM
Unpacking only: ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DEB, DMG, FAT, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, VHD, WIM, XAR and Z.
For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
Strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats
Self-extracting capability for 7z format
Integration with Windows Shell
Powerful File Manager
Powerful command line version
Plugin for FAR Manager
Localizations for 79 languages

http://www.7-zip.org/

 

You should check up B1 Free Archiver (http://b1.org/) - it's free.
With it you can create split archives of custom size, so it would fit Yahoo limitations. It's B1 format provides a decent compression and password-protection.
What's more, there is B1 Online Archiver which can open any archives you throw at it.
Frankly, I like it even more than 7Zip because of the interface and better crossplatformity.

 

7-zip doesn't create spanned ZIP archives, it creates split files similar to HJSplit. You would need 7-ZIP or HJSplit to reassemble the files. Again, remember in the scenario above the person did not have the admin password.

I can't even figure out how to a get a copy command to work with wildcards to reassemble the file. I can get it to work if I spell out the filename of every segment.

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Oh, when I choose 7.zip and click "self extracting", I lose the ability to split. It seems I can either go self extracting or split, but not both.

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I'm sorry to for the tone, but I'm not sure of a more diplomatic way to say this.
Please give me step-by-step instructions on how to use 7-zip to allow me to take a 36mb file and e-mail it to somebody using Windows with a mailbox that does not permit e-mails larger than 5mb. They then need to be able to open the file without installing any additional software.
If you need 7-zip or HJSplit, or any other program not part of a default Windows install, it cannot be opened. If the file exceeds 5mb in size, it will not go through the e-mail.

That is the problem. I don't see how to use 7-zip to solve it.

 

Does it have to be through email? You could always use dropbox or something and share the file link with them to download then extract.

 

I do not see a self-extracting option, and when I choose ZIP format, the option to split the archive goes away.

Sorry, but once again, it does not fit the criteria, as how is the person who cannot install new software suppose to use the resulting output?

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I didn't think this was that difficult a request. I had a freeware program on the Mac called "ZipIt!" that could do this task back when I used System 7.6 in 1997 that wasn't so hard to find back then. I continued to use it with Mac OS 8.6 until that Mac broke down a few years ago. (well, maybe not much, as all I used that Mac for in its last five years was as a glorified TV set, using AIM while playing a game on another system, or displaying stuff from gamefaqs while playing said games).
Now I've looked, but I keep downloading things that will make zips, but not spanned/split ZIP archives. Often they will split some other archive format, but a split self extracting archive seems to be like hens' teeth.
Only WinZIP seems to be able to make a split ZIP archive.
That's been part of the ZIP format for 20-25 years, why is it so hard to find something that supports making an archive with it?

 

It's not just about the program itself, but about the format. B1 Free Archiver has it's own secure format ".b1". With it you can split archives in suitable for e-mail parts and password-protect them.
I've recommended it for you also because B1 Free Archiver is supported on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, so it's quite easy for anyone to install and open the output file. And even if that's not enough, you the file can be safely extracted via B1 Online Archiver. So, the thing is pretty universal and simple.

 

I never did find a suitable program and wound up using sneaker-net.

I can't believe it's so hard to find a free program that creates spanned ZIP archives. Alternately a self-extracting archive that can be split/spanned.

 

I wasn't here when you made the thread, but if I were, I'd probably have the same question as Topken: Why did you need to email the file in the first place?

Email has never been a good method for sending (or generally transferring) files, and with the vast multitude of alternative options available these days, it seems like a fool's errand to try and find a solution to this "problem"...

 

Agreed Keneth that is why I asked about it

 

Aside from the online upload methods, you could even setup an ftp server and this person could access it from his/her browser. I believe there are several ftp clients that could also be used without installation. I think FileZilla can be used by extracting it somewhere and then using it (i.e. no installation). FileZilla Server could be used to set up a server.

But that is probably not what you're looking for.

I know back in the MS-DOS days I unpacked spanned archives with arj, and afterwards with winzip, but the latter you've mentioned is not an option (or has it lost the functionality somewhere along the way?) and I have no clue if the former is still available or if it would even work on today's PCs.

 

Heck http://portableapps.com/ is an option since it can be ran from outside the program folder quite easily. I have it running from an external hdd myself. It has a number of portable apps such as 7zip and the like.

 

Unpacking wasn't an issue. It was finding something to make the spanned ZIP in the first place that runs on 64-bit Windows 7 and isn't trialware like WinZip.
WinZIP was the only thing I could find.

I have an ancient copy of PKZIP for MS-DOS from the '90s, but it won't run under 64-bit Windows as it was a 16-bit application.

Windows had no problems opening those spanned archives, it was creating them that was the problem.

Oh, and I do have my Windows 98SE system configured to work as an FTP server when necessary for that reason.

 

FTP is kind of an overkill solution for something so simple. Dropbox or any number of free hosting sites could have solved this problem with no hassle...

 

I can sometimes be old school in solutions when the old school solutions still work.

The FTP server is already 99% set up, I just have to enable it and open the port on the firewall. It takes less than two minutes and then I just tell the person my IP and have them FTP to there.

It used to be that finding a hosting site for files > 5mb was difficult. Granted, that was in the late '90s, but it was like that for a LONG time. Even Yahoo Briefcase was 30mb at its peak, and started at 10mb. That is why I used the FTP solution built in to Windows 98SE. I repeat, this is set up on my Windows 98SE machine, and has been set up for a VERY long time. Granted, I also have FTP on Windows XP Pro and Windows 7 Professional. Also note that it is disabled at two points until needed because of security concerns.

This thread still doesn't mention a freeware program to create split ZIP archives.
I guess I really lucked out with Zip It! back in 1997 on my (now dead) Mac.
Before that I had PKZIP that ran in MS-DOS on the PC Transporter card on my Apple IIGS (I only had unzippers on the Apple II side).
When I got my Windows 98SE computer, I found PKZIP still worked on it.

Like I said, old school. Hence why it's so late that I'm looking for a replacement.