Info-ZIP

WiZ 5.03

WiZ is a graphical front end for Zip and UnZip; its primary author is Mike White. WiZ currently runs only under 32-bit Windows (95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/etc.), although older releases also supported 16-bit Windows 3.x. As with all of Info-ZIP's software, WiZ is completely free and available as source code, too. Groovy.

Note that a similar graphical port for the Macintosh, MacZip, is also available.

Ready-to-Run Binaries

NOTE: If you find a broken link, please tell us about it. Thanks!

Ready-to-run binary versions of WiZ are available for 16-bit Windows 3.x and for 32-bit Windows 95/98/ME and NT/2000/XP (including Alpha). See below for detailed installation instructions.

Windows 3.x
A Windows 3.x self-extracting package with executables and documentation (version 4.01 only) can be found at: Installation instructions are provided below.

Windows 9x / ME / NT / 2k / XP for Intel
A Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP self-extracting package with Intel x86 executables and documentation can be found at: Installation instructions are provided below.

Windows NT for Alpha
A Windows NT self-extracting package with Alpha AXP executables and documentation can be found at: Installation instructions are provided below.

Installation Instructions for Windows 3.x

(This section was provided by John Coombes.)

Important Note: DO NOT double-click on wiz401x.exe while it is still in your download directory, as it is a self-extracting executable -- that is, it is NOT self-installing. If you do, it will extract itself into the download directory.

Info-ZIP's 16-bit version of WiZ is for use with Windows 3.1 or 3.11. It is compatible with PKZIP 2.04g, and it can zip, unzip and make self-extracting EXE files.

All instructions assume that you are doing the installation from within Windows 3.x and not directly from DOS.

  1. Open File Manager

    1. Create a new directory for WiZ (say, C:\WIZ). To do this, click once on C:\ and then from the FILE menu choose CREATE DIRECTORY, type WIZ, and click OK

    2. Move (or copy) wiz401x.exe into the C:\WIZ directory.

    3. Double-click on wiz401x.exe and it will self-extract into the C:\WIZ directory.

    4. Now you should move wiz401x.exe onto a floppy or into a storage directory on your hard drive and keep it in case you need to re-install it later. If you copied (not moved) it into C:\WIZ you can delete the copy of wiz401x.exe -- it is not used when you run the WiZ program.

  2. Edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the WiZ directory to the PATH statement. Typically it will look something like this:

    PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WHATEVER

    Add C:\WIZ to the end of it so it looks like this:

    PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WHATEVER;C:\WIZ

    You must put in a semicolon (;) just before you put in C:\WIZ .

    1. You can edit AUTOEXEC.BAT by using NOTEPAD or any other text editor that can save in ASCII text format.

      Or you can use SYSEDIT: from Program Manager go FILE, RUN and type in SYSEDIT and click OK. Up will pop a window with various system files that you can edit. Only edit AUTOEXEC.BAT (as above); then from the SYSTEM CONFIGURATION window go FILE and click SAVE before you click EXIT.

    2. Close Windows and reboot your computer so the PATH with C:\WIZ is recognized when you start up again.

  3. When Windows is running, open any Program Group of your choice (say, ACCESSORIES or APPLICATIONS) and create a Program Item for WiZ:

    1. In a PROGRAM GROUP window, go to FILE, then NEW, then select PROGRAM ITEM, either type in C:\WIZ\WIZ.EXE or BROWSE to it and click OK.

Now you are finished; you can use WiZ by clicking on its icon.

Installation Instructions for Windows 95/98/NT

(This section is based on information provided by John Coombes.)

Important Note: DO NOT double-click on wiz503xN.exe while it is still in your download directory, as it is a self-extracting executable -- that is, it is NOT self-installing. If you do, it will extract itself into the download directory.

Info-ZIP's 32-bit version of WiZ is for use with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows NT 3.5 and later. It is compatible with PKZIP 2.60, and it can zip, unzip and make self-extracting EXE files.

All instructions assume that you are doing the installation from within Windows 95/98/NT and not from the DOS 7.x command line.

  1. Open Windows Explorer.

    1. Create a new directory for WiZ (say, C:\Program Files\WiZ). To do this, click once on C:\ and then on Program Files . From the FILE menu choose NEW... and FOLDER (i.e., a directory) and type WiZ .

    2. Move (or copy) wiz503xN.exe into the C:\Program Files\WiZ directory.

    3. Double-click on wiz503xN.exe and it will self-extract into the C:\Program Files\WiZ directory.

    4. Now you should move wiz503xN.exe onto a floppy or into a storage directory on your hard drive and keep it in case you need to re-install it later. If you copied (not moved) it into C:\Program Files\WiZ, you can delete the copy of wiz503xN.exe -- it is not used when you run the WiZ program.

  2. Create a shortcut for WiZ on the desktop:

    1. Click with the right mouse button on a blank area of the desktop; a menu will pop up.

    2. Select NEW and SHORTCUT.

    3. Either type in C:\Program Files\WiZ\WiZ.exe or BROWSE to it, then click OK.

    4. Drag the WiZ icon to your preferred location on the desktop.

  3. Create a file association for .zip files so that WiZ will automatically be invoked when you double-click on a zipfile:

    1. Open Windows Explorer again and find a file that has a .zip extension. To do this, it may first be necessary to make filename extensions visible:

      • In the VIEW menu, make sure DETAILS is selected (with a black dot showing).
      • Select FOLDER OPTIONS and uncheck the ``HIDE FILE EXTENSIONS FOR KNOWN FILE TYPES'' checkbox.
      • Click on APPLY.

    2. Select the file so that it is highlighted (usually with one click of the left mouse button)

    3. Hold down the Shift key and click on the file with the right mouse button.

    4. Select OPEN WITH and OTHER.

    5. Either type in C:\Program Files\WiZ\WiZ.exe or click LOOK IN to browse to it, then click OPEN.

    6. Check the ``ALWAYS USE THIS PROGRAM TO OPEN THIS TYPE OF FILE'' checkbox, then click OK.

Now you are finished; you can use WiZ either by clicking on its icon or by double-clicking on any zipfile. Unlike the 16-bit case, there is no need to reboot the computer to enable the 32-bit version of WiZ.

Source Code

Info-ZIP's C source code for WiZ is freely available from:

The DLL source code for Zip and UnZip is required to compile WiZ; it is available either in the full source archives for Zip and UnZip or as part of the wiz503.zip combined source archive. (Encryption and decryption are now enabled by default, so no extra steps are required for that.)

Other Stuff

Technical information on zipfiles and other assorted Info-ZIP documentation is available from:

Technical information and documentation for deflate/inflate and zlib are available from :

Further information on where to find Info-ZIP stuff, including some BBSes and commercial online services, is available in:

Information about commercial use, modification and redistribution of Zip, UnZip, WiZ and MacZip is available in:

It's basically BSD-like, but note that there may still be a few remaining files in some of the packages that are covered by different licenses.

[Info-ZIP] Return to the Info-ZIP Home Page.

Last updated 4 October 2008. Web page maintained by Greg Roelofs. Please direct Info-ZIP queries (availability, ports, bugs, etc.) to Zip-Bug .
Copyright © 1998-2008 Greg Roelofs.
Mike White is the principal author and maintainer of WiZ. 		Primary ftp site hosted by LEO.