WinRAR is a file compressor / archiver great for backing up data.  Download WinRAR at rarlab.com/download.htm.

WinRAR Tip #1: Change Default Settings:

Follow these steps:

Open WinRAR, click "Options" menu, and click "Settings...":

This brings you to the "Settings" window in the "General" tab:

Click the "Compression" tab:

In the "Compression profiles" section, click "Create default..." to bring up the "Set default compression options" window:

Now, anything you change in here will be your default settings.  For example, if you wish to use "Best" compression, "Create solid archive", and "Test archived files" by default (as I have chosen in the screenshot above), then click these as you would if you were about to create an archive.

Setting a Default Password:

You can even set a default password, by following these steps:

Go to the "Set default compression options" window again, and click the "Advanced" tab:

Click the "Set password..." button to bring up the "Archiving with password" window:

Set your password, click "OK" when you are finished with each window.

Be warned that having a default password stores it in your profile, which is a security risk.  It allows anyone who sits at your computer to open RAR files without knowing your password, as it is automatically used by default for both opening archives as well as creating archives.  I recommend not setting a password by default, unless you are aware of the consequences.

All WinRAR Tips:

• WinRAR Tip #1: Change Default Settings
• WinRAR Tip #2: Automatically Test Archived Files
• WinRAR Tip #3: Delete Multiple Files out of Multiple RAR Files
• WinRAR Tip #4: Run in Low Priority
• WinRAR Tip #5: Run with Multi-Threading
• WinRAR Tip #6: Make Additional WinRAR Copies Wait Their Turn
• WinRAR Tip #7: Batch File Backups

Have Any Tips To Add?

If you have WinRAR tips you would like to add, please contact us.

Also See:

• Windows XP Setup Tweaks & Tips

External Links:

• RARLAB (the makers of WinRAR)
• WinRAR (Wikipedia)
• RAR (file format)  (Wikipedia)
• Maximum Compression (shows maximum achievable compression ratio of 150+ compression programs )
• WinRAR (the company) (official publisher of RARLAB products, including WinRAR)

About the Author:  I am Matthew Doucette of Xona Games, an award-winning, team-of-two indie studio concentrating on "intense retro" games (Xbox LIVE, PSN, WiiWare, and Windows PC). We've released Decimation X (XBLIG), a 1-4 player shmup, #1 best selling and #1 top rated XBLIG in Japan. We're working on Duality ZF (XBLA), a groundbreaking 1-4 player shmup, which placed #1 in Canada and #5 in the world in Microsoft's Dream Build Play 2010 contest. It features dual play, the ability to control two fighters at once, and a massively upgradable 32-stage spread/laser weapon system. 4 player dual play allows up to eight fighters at once.  Many of these features are never before seen shoot'em up firsts. Both games feature beautiful electronic Imphenzia soundtracks.  Help spread the word with our official dualityzf.com and decimationx.com websites.

P.S. Watch out for Score Rush (official website scorerush.com), another 1-4 player shmup. Coming soon to XBLIG.

*Shmup also known as: shoot'em up, 2D shooter, scrolling shooter, space shooter, spaceship shooter, retro shooter, etc.