shahine.com/omar/

Why oh why is something simple so hard.

I hate downloading zip files. Here is a typical scenerio:

• Download file from web site
• File is Ziped and placed in some cryptic temp folder by IE
• I select Open from the download dialog
• Compressed XP folder view opens
• I can't use the files in this folder, I have to extract first blah blah
• By default XP will extract to the same lame temp folder.

I want a program that will simply unzip a file when I double click it on my windows desktop (this is where I typically save downloaded files). I don't want to see what is in the zip archive, I want it to just extract the files in a new folder, and delete the zip archive for good. Then I can install the app, or use the application or whatever. I don't want to use a "wizard" to do such a simple thing.

Once upon a time there was a program called Stuffit Expander, which was free, and did this. However, the company has since ridled this program with a bunch of useless crap, called it Stuffit Standard, and is trying as hard as it can to sell you the standard version with all this useless crap. I don't want or need it, I just want the old simple Stuffit Expander.

Anyway, in the meantime I've found this great free app which almost does what I want. FilZip is donationware (my favorite), and has nifty shell extensions that will do the “extract to here” in a folder named after the zip archive. Also, if you do double click the file, a simple window opens up where you can still do the “extract to here” unlike WinZip which asks you where you want to unzip the file contents. Don't ever ask me this question, I always want to extract to the same location as the zip file.

Maybe some one knows of an app that will do what I want, but for now, I'm happy with FilZip.