7-zip is probably the most popular free unzip software even though IZArc might be a better zip utilty. I think on every bootable Windows PE flash drive belongs an unzip software. If you have to download tools to solve your troubleshooting problem, then you will often need an unzip software to extract the utility from the downloaded archive. This is the only feature an unzip software for a rescue stick really needs. This is why I have tried 7-Zip Portable on Windows PE 3.0.
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7-Zip doesn't offer a portable version, but PortableApps.com provides a version of 7-Zip that works without installation. Actually, you have to install 7-Zip Portable once on your USB flash drive. But then you can launch the unzip software from Windows systems where 7-Zip hasn't been installed.
This also works on Windows PE 3.0. However, I had one problem with the free unzip software. You can only extract archives to the same drive from where you opened the ZIP file. In most cases this should not be a problem, though. If you want to unzip the archive to a different drive, you only have to copy the zip file to this disk first.
We use 7-Zip as well in our network, and one of the things I like about it is that it offers a 32-bit as well as 64-bit version, and that it also comes as a MSI file.
The MSI makes it possible to distribute it through Active Directory’s group policy, which we are doing in our network. Every workstation gets it automatically installed with no manual labor involved.
I agree, 7-Zip as some advantages for network deployments. I think the fact that is not overload with too many features is also a plus in some environments.
I prefer izarc only because it’s default zip format is .zip which is more universally accessible. i think 7-zip always defaults to .7z or something like that. The .msi is certainly an advantage though.
7-Zip 4.65 always uses the last format. So you can use ZIP as your default ZIP format. But izarc is certainly nice too.