Unace plugin for PeaZip

As much as most developers would like to implement as many features as they can into their final product, smaller teams sometimes have to prioritize working on compatibility updates and ensuring that core functions remain functional with each new iteration of the target operating system.

Luckily, thanks to the kindness and passion of the community, if the app in question provides support for them, third-party add-ons come to the rescue by trying to satisfy the needs of a niche part of the user-base. When it comes to lesser known archive formats, the Unace plugin for PeaZip should be of use.

Similar to other industry trends, file formats tend to fall out of fashion whenever a more flexible and safer standard enters the scene. Such is the case of the .ACE archive format, whose WinACE parent program ceased development, leaving the file extension vulnerable to a number of critical security issues.

Once downloaded, extracting the plugin at hand and placing it into the “bin” directory of PeaZip will let you open legacy archives using that standard to recover files left on older devices and avoid data loss. This approach allows you to avoid exposing your OS to vulnerabilities when opening the archives in Windows.