.ZPAQ File Extension
ZPAQ Archive
Developer | Matt Mahoney |
Popularity |
4.0 | 3 Votes |
What is a ZPAQ file?
A ZPAQ file is an archive that contains one or more files compressed with the open-source ZPAQ algorithm. It supports up to 250 terabytes of data, AES-256 encryption, and five different levels of compression with differing speeds and resulting archive sizes. Several compression utilities support ZPAQ files, including the ZPAQ command-line utility and ConeXware PowerArchiver.
More Information
ZPAQ users typically compress files as ZPAQ archives to create backups and reduce their size for storage or transfer purposes. They may also encrypt the ZPAQ archive to secure sensitive information, such as financial documents or personal photos.
Matt Mahoney released the first version of the ZPAQ algorithm in 2009 to improve upon other common compression formats, such as .ZIP, .7Z, and .RAR. He followed the initial version with subsequent releases that improved its capabilities, including the ability to choose between Streaming and Journaling methods. In addition, the ZPAQ format is backward and forward compatible, meaning that utilities that support ZPAQ support all versions of the ZPAQ format.
How to open a ZPAQ file
You can open a ZPAQ file with several file decompression programs, including ZPAQ (multiplatform) and ConeXware PowerArchiver (multiplatform). For example, to open a ZPAQ file with PowerArchiver, select File → Open Archive.
How to convert a ZPAQ file
Various compression utilities, such as ConeXware PowerArchiver and ZPAQ, can convert ZPAQ archives by extracting their items and then compressing them in a different archive format.
For example, the Windows version of PowerArchiver can extract the contents of a ZPAQ file, then compress them as various archive types, including the following formats: