Hi,

Sometimes people ask me if I could upload my Mod as a .Zip or .Rar file instead of .Exe. I only do not understand the reason why; is it because they fear it could contain a Virus (or some other form of malicious software) or is .Rar just easier to use..?


What do you prefer, and why?

dutch666

An archive format, like rar, zip, 7z, tar, so on, produces a smaller file that works across all platforms, gives a consistent method of installing mods, and can be interacted with by other applications, as the formats are open and have libraries to read them.

For example, you couldn't turn an auto-extracting executable into an OMOD, or load it through BAIN, because neither application can read the exe - however they can read archive formats, as they have a set format.

Not that it is too much of a problem within the modding community but I do not like using .exe files since too many bad things can be done within an .exe file that you download. So usually will skip mods packed as .exe files unless I know the modder and trust the site it is uploaded to.

EDIT : Forgot -- and even then I'll use Universal Extractor to extract the relevant portions from the .exe file instead of running the .exe so it is more convenient if .rar or .7z is used.

Good point..

@ PhYoshi: Ok, the smaller file size and the ease of use (by standardisation) offered by archive formats are both practical arguments in favor of .Rar - .Zip files

I prefer .rar files for uncomplicated mods, such as adding clothing, hairstyles, etc, mostly because I can then easily create OMOD files and deactivate them at my leisure. For bigger stuff, like the Unofficial Patches and whatnot, I don't mind that they're in .exe format. So for me, it really depends on the mod. Cosmetic stuff? .exe isn't really necessary. Things that affect a lot of the gameplay? .exe would be fine then.

Self-extractors make sense only if the compression tool used is one that most people would not have, so you need to supply the decompression with the archive. That's so rare these days that it makes no sense to use them at all. Plus if you're using an obscure tool, I probably don't want the content.

Since many firewalls will block any .exe files, it's doubly pointless.

However, the new standard appears to be .7z rather than either of your choices. I'd have voted "neither" if that was one of the options.

Thank you all for helping me understand, the next version of my Mod will be uploaded as .Rar :yes:

dutch666

The best format IMHO is 7z.
I simply will not use an exe unless I know for certain the modder who put it up as such. Being in the modding commuity for a long time helps you determine that difference.

7z is simply smaller and makes for faster downloads as well as me having to upload it since upload speeds are capped at a much smaller bandwidth than downloads.

I have only uploaded a few mods, but I like using and working with .zip files. I like being able to go into the files while they are still in this form.

I always upload my mods as OMOD-Ready 7z archives. It gives the ability to customize the installation process with scripts for whoever uses OBMM and those that do not can still install it manually and edit the ini file.

7z and rar for me. Rar being what I use most of the time- small 1 off files that aren't so big. I do use 7z when i start packing up large things. But rar is handy as I am lazy and 7z takes 1mins longer to make, and I always forget a file when packing, which I can just drag into the rar but have to repack the 7z again completely. Yeah lame I know,

exe < nope.
Only mod tools or known modders will ever get away with that, most mod users have no idea who is who in the mod scene, I do not recommend them. It might be easy for me to know WillieSea is the real deal, but the average mod downloader won't. I personally discourage the use. If it were common then all sorts of shadey works pop up in the scene, and 99% people using mods won't know who to trust, and it'll be easier for people to fall fowl to people hiding in what would be a common file type.. as it is exe's are like red flags in this mod scene.

Actually with the newer versions of 7z, you can drag stuff into archives and remove files from archives. The file manager was busted for a while, but they have fixed it with the last couple of versions. Still not quite as flexible for altering paths as zip, but still provides better compression than zip.

Yeah, but when you drag files into an existing archive, they don't seem to compress. Like, fully unpacking and repacking with the new files gives you a smaller file size than just dragging. I still prefer 7z over the others, though.

Really? Huh, I never noticed that... I guess most of the time I'm just dragging an updated version of a file in the archive already. The new size seems to be about the same size as the old... I'll keep an eye on that though...