Universal Extractor Portable

Universal Extractor Portable is a free multi-format compression utility written by Legroom for Windows XP and later versions. The program is used frequently in the United States, Brazil, and India. It features the ability to extract or compress files of multiple types including zip and rar. Because the program is portable, it uses less free space than other software of the same type. It is also possible to run and work with files from a USB drive. The utility offers the ability to set its menu text to multiple languages including English, Spanish, and German.

Some of the pros of this software include three different components. First, there is no need to download and install multiple programs to work with compressed files such as zip utilities, rar utilities, and tar utilities. Secondly, you can use the portable version to check files before you extract them which can help avoid malware infections. Third, it allows you to preview what is actually inside a file without decompressing it. Finally, you can take the utility with you on a portable storage device wherever you go.

There are a couple of cons to this software which are minor, though they do deserve a mention. First, there is no centralized way to discuss this software with other users, which has the potential to be quite helpful. Second, this tool is very powerful which is great if you are experienced, however if you are not skilled, it would be pretty easy to accidentally cause problems, such as malware infections.

Overall, I would recommend this utility to any power user or computer technician. The portability and cost along with the multi-format capabilities make this an excellent utility for any tool kit. A forum or centralized location to discuss using and possibly improving the program could easily be created and the current lack thereof should not discourage anyone from using it.  

Provides the ability to handle compressed files from a USB drive.

• Multi-Format capable
• Portable
• Free
• Requires little space
• Multi-Language capable