I just downloaded the Uber Crystal Egg Hunt mod but can't use it since the Crystal Egg Icons file is in .ace format. I've used 7zip for opening any other type of mods, but it doesn't seem to work on .ace. Does anyone know of a completely free program for opening this type of file (or maybe somewhere I can download the Crystal Egg Icons in a different file format)?

I've used http://peazip.sourceforge.net/. There may be a separate download for an external "unace" program, but my recollection is fuzzy.

I downloaded peazip and found that I need the unace add-on. Unfortunately, when i downloaded the unace add-on, my Norton antivirus labelled it as a security risk and removed it.

I use a program called Extract Now to open .ace files. However, when I do see a .ace file, I suddenly have the urge to punch the person in the face that made it because its such an uncommon format compared with the others like zip or 7z. Incidently, I only ever see .ace format for packaged morrowind mods.

Norton lies!

(I'd call their support line and ask them to whitelist that application).

Norton's whitelist, at the moment, consists mostly of corporate spyware they've been kindly a$ked to add, so you're not going to get very far there.

I think WinRAR might do the trick (and you can get the evaluation free, or get the unplugged version off their site).
Extract Now was what I used to use, IIRC.

You can also get Universal Extractor, that can extract just about, well... anything in this universe (quantum archives are the only thing it hasn't been able to handle that I've tried).

i use 7zip which opens .ace and winrar does as well.

I use Universal Extractor for the occasional .ace file I come across. Wait, 7zip opens .ace files? Not the version I have I am pretty sure - I'll have to check that.

Wait, 7zip opens .ace files? That must be something new because I havent been able to open any with 7zip, otheriwse I wouldnt have bothered trying to find something like Extract Now.

I think I found something to do the trick. It looks like Xace is a free to use unace program. For some reason, my version of 7-zip doesn't want to open .ace files. I've used it for .rar and .7z, but this is the first time I've encountered a .ace.

Alzip form Altools - it can do it all.

I'd uninstall it and install Microsoft Security Essentials

.ACE files are the second worst format to package a mod in, after .EXEs that put things in your Add/Remove Programs and overwrite existing files :swear:

I'm suprised that no-one has has mentioned http://download.cnet.com/ZipGenius-Standard-Edition/3000-2250_4-10179818.html.

I find it very reliable for opening all of my frequently used file types, including .ace.

I too haven't been able to open any .ace files using 7zip.

WinRAR just opened an old .ace I had, no problems.

Nah, ace isn't on http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt30/krzymar/7zip914SupFmts.png.

Here's a http://www.7zip.com/type/10/ACE.

Why not... winace? Just like winrar and winzip, except for ace files.

For some reason I could never get extracting .ace files to work if I'd open them with winrar and dragged the files out, but if I'd right click on the .ace file and selected 'extract here' it would work just fine.

Also the Uber Crystal Egg Hunt is a great mod!

I see. i use only 7zip and winrar and i definitly am able to open ace files. so it'll be winrar. no probs so far.

Because some people want to use a freeware programs, as it was specified by the OP, and neither WinZip, nor WinRar, nor WinAce are free. Like I don't use either WinZip or WinRar, because I have 7-zip, which is OpenSource / free of charge.

ACE is a proprietary archive file format, so it can't be used in an OpenSource software, like 7-zip, and probably to implement it in other software, even freeware but not OpenSource, there is some licensing fee that needs to be paid by the software developer.

So it is WinRar, which isn't freeware either.

Edit: fixed typo

WinRAR can handle most common archives (zip, rar, ace, and 7z I think), plus it's got that nice shiny file manager, so it's basically all you need for casual archive handling. If you want to go a bit further, WinRAR has recovery records and can handle SFX and split archives.

7-zip would be the next best choice, but it only has partial support for a few common formats (can read rar and zip, thinks it can read ISOs but can't) and is only good for making ridiculously customized archives (7z, split 7z (which makes no sense naming-wise and has very poor/no error checking or recovery), and a non-standard zip variant that nothing else can open).

If you need to extract things and want the best chance possible, even if you don't know what it is, Universal Extractor is your best bet.

I keep WinRAR and Universal Extractor in my context menu, with 7z, UHARC, and a few other obscure tools stored in a folder. That combo hasn't failed me yet.

Edit:

WinRAR isn't freeware, but you can get it free, which is what the topic title says. There's both the trial version, which has a little nag box but works just fine (apparently forever, it hasn't turned off on me yet), or this:
http://www.win-rar.com/unpluggedinfo.html
Which is the portable, unplugged version and works just fine. The download is even from their site, so it looks like it's legitimate.
Edit2: And considering the OP is looking for a free program to extract a proprietary format, they're lucky anything exists at all.

Extract Now is free and opens more then just .ace files. I have just checked, apparently it opens ZIP, RAR, ACE, IMG, ISO, etc etc.

I've been on the "30 day trial" of winace for almost a year without it shutting off on me, so yeah...

Here it is in rar format. It can only download 10 times.

http://rapidshare.com/files/399035590/Crystal_Egg_Icons.rar.html :laugh:

unace + peazip works fine, and is totally free. I don't know why Norton got it's shorts in a wad over it - perhaps because of a complaint from the original developer or something - but it should be fine. It's what I use to open those irritating .ace files.

I'd also suggest dumping Norton in favor of practically anything else. It has been at least 15 years since it was worth paying for.

@ krzymar Yeah, those are all free programs . But in regards to nagging things, don't ever run the program... just right-click selected files and choose "extract here" or "extract to ..." Anything else is just adding unnecessary steps.

I would advocate dumping Norton on account of you don't need antivirus programs because they don't do anything helpful, and they block things you want to use.