Banana Shrink

Important files can be kept safe through a simple method, by bundling them inside an archive, where no malicious programs can enter, without the need of adding a password. This also reduces the overall size of files on the disk through compression, and is one of the features that might make you want to try Banana Shrink.

A neat advantage is that you don’t have to go through a setup process to make the application work, which means it can easily be carried around on a USB flash drive and used on other computers as well. Another consequence of portability is that system registries remain intact, making sure the target PC’s stability doesn’t get affected.

All the application has to offer can be found in a pretty compact main window. Most of the space is used to show the files you load, with a side navigation panel letting you select them, progress slider to know when it’s done, and a few general configuration options.

However, you need to completely rely on the application’s navigation panel to target files, because you can only load entire folders, without the possibility to add custom files to the list, and drag and drop is not supported. Once files are on the list, you can pay a visit to the options panel, where you get to choose one of three compression levels, with an additional field to add a password for extra protection.

Don’t expect the result to take up considerably less space than the source, even if compression level is set to maximum. In any case, it only takes a little while to finish bundling your selection of files inside a self-extracting archive. Running it brings up a small prompt, where you select destination and initiate the extraction process.

All things considered, we come to the conclusion that Banana Shrink is a practical application that lets you create self-extracting archives in the nick of time, with the possibility to also add a password for more safety. Although it feels a little rough around the edges, the core features are properly presented and delivered, living up to expectations.