ExtractNow 4.7.9.0

The software category that deals with file compression and archive decompression is almost oversaturated. There are so many choices that deciding between them comes down to finding the one that includes all the features one might need.

If you require a piece of software that performs decompression only we suggest ExtractNow. It extracts files wrapped in a wide range of archive formats, namely: ZIP, RAR, ACE, JAR, ISO, IMG, IMA, IMZ, BIN, LHA, LHZ and SIT. The best thing about it is that it provides the means to batch process archives at an impressive speed, to say the least.

Its interface is plain simple, but this might turn out to be an advantage, at least for beginners. Files can be added via drag and drop or via the right-click menu. If you’re thinking that you’ve seen better, you might want to take a look at the Settings menu, because this is the place that carries the goodies.

Its most interesting features include: allowing multiple instances, history log (so you can track your progress and then export it into a LOG file), as well as automatic extraction of archives at start-up. In addition, you can personalize the destination folder - whether it's in the same directory as the archive or in a specific directory where all archives are extracted.

But the best part comes after the extraction point, when you can set ExtractNow to open destination folder, clear, delete, recycle or move archives to a specific location, close the program (or only if it's successful), delete broken files, and several others.

Other features worth mentioning include the possibility to add an explorer context menu, thus providing an easier method to access the program. Also, you can match archive types and search through them for specific text, as well as extract archives by using a text file list of passwords.

Testing this application turned out to be a treat. We were impressed with its rich options and extracting speed. There's not one bad thing to say here, except for maybe the raw simplicity of the interface.