This command allows to recompress archives from one format to another. It is accessible both in file management and in archive management modes. In the file management mode you may select several files and folders to process, WinRAR will scan them and convert found archives. In the archive management mode only the current archive is converted by default. "Convert archives" dialog contains several items controlling command execution. They are described below.
Archives to convert
List of archives, which will be converted by WinRAR. You may add or remove items of this list using "Add" and "Remove" buttons. "Remove" button does not delete files on the disk, it just removes them from the list to convert.
Contents of archive list depends on the next dialog parameter, list of formats.
Archive types
Here you may choose which archive formats you are going to convert. Archive formats in this list may be followed by the number enclosed in parentheses. It shows how many archives of this type are found and ready to be converted. For example, "zip(12)" means that WinRAR found 12 zip archives. If this number is missing, no archives of this type were found.
Conversion options/Lowest allowed ratio
This option allows to specify the lowest <new packed size>/<old packed size> percent acceptable for converted archives. For example, if you set it to 100, WinRAR will preserve already existing archives, when a new archive is larger than old one. If it is disabled, WinRAR ignores archive sizes.
Conversion options/Compression
"Compression" button activates a dialog, where you may choose different parameters for converted archives. For example, you may select either they will be rar or zip.
Conversion options/Folder for converted archives
Here you may enter a folder to place converted archives. WinRAR attempts to create this folder if it does not exist. If this field is empty, new archives will be placed in the same folder as old converted files.
Conversion options/Delete original archives
Chooses either to delete successfully converted archives.
If original and new archives have the same format and "Folder for converted archives" field is blank, original archives will be deleted regardless of this option.
Conversion options/Skip encrypted archives
If this option is enabled, archives with encrypted data will not be processed. It might be useful if you wish to run the conversion command in unattended mode, avoiding password prompts. Though, if you know that all encrypted archives use the same password, another approach can be to have this option off and set the default password in File menu before invoking the convert command.
"Save" button
This button stores the state of all dialog controls except "Archives to convert" list, so it will be restored when activating the dialog next time. You may use it to save your favorite conversion settings.
Remarks
- WinRAR keeps the new archive only if it was successfully created, tested and reported the total unpacked size of contained files equal to unpacked size of original archive.
- WinRAR attempts to preserve archive comments when possible. But if user specified a comment in the dialog activated by "Compression" button, it will have a higher precedence. File comments are not converted. Other special archive information like NTFS streams and file security data may be either converted or not depending on compression settings and archive format.
- WinRAR unpacks original archives to temporary folder before converting. You need to have enough free space in this folder.
- WinRAR may fail to convert archives containing special data like links or file versions.