ARC to ARJ Converter

Switch between DOS-era ARC and ARJ archives free

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Retro Format Bridge

Move between two vintage archive formats — ARC (1985) to ARJ (1990s) — without needing DOS or any obsolete software tools.

Browser-Only Process

No DOS emulators, no command-line tools. Upload your ARC archive via the web and download ARJ output from convertio.co.

Files Removed Quickly

Your ARC archive is deleted from servers immediately after processing. ARJ output is automatically purged within 24 hours.

How to convert ARC to ARJ

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose arj or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your arj file right afterwards

About formats

ARC is one of the earliest widely-used compressed archive formats for personal computers, created by Thom Henderson of System Enhancement Associates) (SEA) in 1985 for MS-DOS. The format combines multiple files into a single archive with per-file compression, supporting several compression methods including no compression (stored), run-length encoding, Huffman coding, and LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch) variants. Each file entry in an ARC archive carries its own header with the original filename, compressed and uncompressed sizes, timestamp, CRC checksum, and compression method indicator. ARC became the dominant archive format on DOS-based bulletin board systems (BBS) during the mid-1980s, serving as the primary means of distributing software, documents, and data files online before the internet era. The format sparked a notable legal controversy when Phil Katz created a compatible utility (PKARC), leading to a lawsuit from SEA that ultimately motivated Katz to develop the ZIP) format as a legal alternative. One advantage of ARC was its per-file compression approach, allowing individual files to be extracted without decompressing the entire archive. The integrated CRC checksums provided another benefit, enabling reliable verification of data integrity after transfer over error-prone modem connections. While ZIP and more modern formats supplanted ARC by the early 1990s, the format holds historical significance as a foundational technology in the evolution of data compression and file distribution.
Initial release: 1985
ARJ (Archived by Robert Jung) is a compressed archive format created by Robert K. Jung in 1991 for MS-DOS, which became one of the most popular archiving tools during the early 1990s. The format uses a proprietary compression algorithm based on LZ77 sliding window techniques combined with Huffman coding, offering competitive compression ratios that rivaled or exceeded other DOS-era archivers. ARJ archives support multi-volume spanning across floppy disks, a critical feature in an era when distributing software often meant shipping multiple 1.44 MB diskettes. The format also provides password protection, file attribute and timestamp preservation, archive integrity verification through CRC-32 checksums, and the ability to create self-extracting executables. ARJ saw widespread adoption on bulletin board systems and in corporate environments during the DOS and early Windows period, valued for its balance of compression ratio, speed, and feature set. One advantage was excellent multi-volume support — ARJ handled spanning across floppy disks more reliably than many competitors, making it a preferred choice for software distribution via physical media. The self-extracting archive capability provided another practical strength, enabling recipients to unpack files without needing the ARJ utility installed. While ARJ's usage declined sharply with the rise of ZIP, RAR, and 7Z as internet-based distribution replaced floppy disks, the format remains recognized by modern archivers like 7-Zip for extracting legacy archives.
Developer: Robert Jung
Initial release: 1991

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert ARC to ARJ?

Both are DOS-era formats, but ARJ offers better compression and multi-volume support. It may also be needed for specific retro computing setups.

How do I open ARJ files?

The arj command-line utility works on DOS/Windows. 7-Zip extracts ARJ files on modern systems for free. PeaZip is another option.

Are ARC and ARJ both obsolete?

Yes. ARC (1985) and ARJ (early 1990s) are both vintage formats. For modern use, consider ZIP or 7Z — unless a legacy system requires ARJ.

Is this conversion actually free?

Yes — convertio.co provides free ARC to ARJ conversion. No subscription and no credit card required.

Will the conversion preserve my file data?

Absolutely. Every file from the ARC archive is extracted and repacked into ARJ intact, with filenames and structure preserved.

ARC to ARJ Quality Rating

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