ARJ Compressed Archives

ARJ (Archived by Robert Jung) is a compressed archive file format that was widely used in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was created by Robert K. Jung in 1993.

An ARJ file is a compressed container that can hold multiple files and directories, similar to ZIP or RAR archives. The format supports various compression algorithms, including Huffman coding, LZ77, and LZ78.

Here are some key features of the ARJ file format:

  1. Compression: ARJ uses a combination of compression techniques to reduce the size of the archived data.
  2. Multiple volumes: ARJ archives can be split into multiple volumes, which allows users to create smaller files that can be easily transferred or stored.
  3. Password protection: ARJ supports password protection, which encrypts the archive and prevents unauthorized access.
  4. File management: ARJ includes a built-in file manager that allows users to view, extract, and manage the archived files.

The ARJ format was widely used in the 1990s, particularly among computer enthusiasts and in online communities, such as bulletin board systems (BBS) and online forums. However, with the rise of newer compression formats like ZIP, RAR, and 7Z, ARJ’s popularity declined, and it is no longer a commonly used format.

Today, many operating systems and archiving tools still support the ARJ format for compatibility reasons, but it is not recommended for new archives due to its limitations and potential security vulnerabilities.