ICEOWS (Interface de Compression Ergonomique pour windOWS), formerly known as ArjFolder, achieves seamless file compression by embedding itself directly into the Windows Explorer framework. Instead of forcing you to open a separate, external program window, it extends the operating system’s native environment so that archives behave exactly like standard Windows directories.
The utility integrates into the Windows Shell via the following mechanisms: The “Un-Interface” Paradigm
Unlike standalone compression software that requires learning a new user interface, ICEOWS treats archives as a continuation of your local file system.
Native Explorer Views: When you open a compressed archive, it populates inside your standard Windows Explorer window, making the transition indistinguishable from browsing normal folders.
True Drag-and-Drop: You can copy, paste, or drag files directly into or out of an open archive using standard mouse actions.
Folder Conversions: It can seamlessly toggle an archive into a directory format, allowing compressed folders to display as blue subdirectories directly within the Explorer sidebar tree. Context Menu & Property Extensions
ICEOWS populates the native Windows right-click menus to give you instant utility commands:
One-Click Compression: You can right-click any standard file or folder to instantly pack it without opening an application interface.
Properties Tab Integration: Right-clicking an archive and selecting “Properties” reveals a custom tab detailing compression ratios, file counts, and archive comments.
Recursive Extraction: The context menus allow you to extract multiple deep-nested archives simultaneously while preserving their original folder hierarchies. Broad Format Support with Native Focus
While ICEOWS introduces its own proprietary .ice format—which is highly optimized for compressing text files—it handles a vast array of industry formats directly inside Windows Explorer:
Full Read/Write Support: You can freely add, modify, delete, or update files inside ICE, ZIP, and ARJ archives without leaving the explorer view.
Decompression-Only Support: It natively extracts and previews a massive matrix of alternative files, including RAR, ACE, CAB, TAR, GZIP, BZ2, and Java formats like JAR, EAR, and WAR.
Note: Because ICEOWS was built to integrate deeply with the 32-bit Windows architecture (originally supporting Windows 9x, Me, NT, and XP), its deepest system-level shell integrations are tailored for legacy Windows platforms. If you are setting this up, let me know: Which version of Windows you are currently running?
If you specifically need to use the proprietary .ice format? Whether you need to configure multi-volume split archives? ICEOWS Official web site
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