If you already use compressed folders in Windows XP, you might wonder what the point is of spending money on compression software, but Stuffit Deluxe 9 does far more than shrink files to save space on your hard disk.

Stuffit Deluxe can create archives using the ZIP format or its own format, which can compress JPEG image files and show thumbnails when viewing archives. Stuffit integrates into Windows Explorer so it is possible to create, view and decompress files using the right mouse button menu.

A very useful addition is the Disk Index, which keeps track of files archived to CD or DVD. The index can then be searched by file name or date so you can see which disc you need.

Archives can also be converted into self-contained programs that will decompress by themselves, so your recipient doesn't need a copy of Stuffit. This does increase the size of archives, however.

Regular backups are easy with the scheduled archive creation. These can be saved to a disc or sent over the internet using ftp or email.