RLPack - Basic Edition

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET Staff on February 27, 2009

This handy utility compresses executables without adding DLLs or losing functionality. RLPack's clean, simple single dialog displays everything needed to operate the program. The short Help manual is enough for experienced users, but novices will need to learn a bit about executable compression before using this tool.

Setup is a mere matter of copying included files to a folder and running the executable. Operating RLPack is very simple. Picking the executable to compress involves navigating the file tree and selecting it. Set a few options and press Pack, and the tool goes to work. Compression is quick, but total time depends on system power and the algorithm used. The options won't make sense to many inexperienced users, but each is well explained in the manual. RLPack can strip .reloc, and .tls sections from PE32 executables if applicable. The app includes both aPlib and LZMA compression algorithms. Select either method from a simple single-click pull-down. Other options use check-box toggles for fast selection. Some options are available only in the program's full edition, but this download works fine with the primary settings, and the limited functions don't limit the ability to test this useful executable.

We found RLPack useful for reducing the size of executables, but the tool is best utilized by programmers looking to compress their creations before release.