CAB to ARJ Converter

Convert CAB archives to ARJ format online for free

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Legacy Compatibility

Convert modern CAB packages into ARJ archives — the format recognized by vintage DOS tools and early compression utilities.

No Software Needed

Our cloud-based conversion means you never have to hunt for obscure ARJ packing tools — just upload your CAB and download the result.

Data Protection

Uploaded CAB files are deleted right after processing, and resulting ARJ archives are removed from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert CAB 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

CAB (Cabinet) is a compressed archive format developed by Microsoft) for efficient software distribution and Windows component packaging. Introduced around 1996, CAB files serve as the container format for Windows Installer packages (.msi), Windows system updates, driver distributions, and ActiveX component downloads. The format supports three compression algorithms — MSZIP (Microsoft's Deflate implementation), Quantum (statistical compression), and LZX (an LZ77 variant with Huffman coding optimized for executable files) — with LZX typically delivering the highest ratios. CAB archives organize files into folders (compression units) where files within the same folder are compressed as a continuous stream for improved ratios, and archives can span multiple volumes for distribution on size-limited media. One advantage is deep Windows ecosystem integration — CAB files are handled natively by Windows without third-party software, used in everything from OS installation media to driver packages and system updates. The LZX compression algorithm provides another strength, achieving particularly strong compression on compiled code and PE executables, which is ideal for the format's primary role in software distribution. Microsoft's makecab tool ships with every Windows installation, and CAB extraction is built into Windows Explorer. The format continues to serve as infrastructure for Windows deployment and update mechanisms across enterprise and consumer environments.
Developer: Microsoft
Initial release: 1996
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 would anyone convert CAB to ARJ?

ARJ is needed for certain legacy DOS and early Windows systems. If you maintain older hardware or software, ARJ may be required for compatibility.

What opens ARJ files?

The original arj command-line tool and 7-Zip both handle ARJ archives. On Linux, the arj package is available in most repositories.

Is ARJ still used today?

Rarely. ARJ was popular in the BBS era. Today it is mainly needed for interacting with vintage computing environments or old backups.

Will converting CAB to ARJ change the contents?

No — every file inside the CAB archive is transferred to the ARJ output intact, with the same directory structure preserved.

Can I do this from my phone or tablet?

Yes. Convertio.co works in any modern mobile browser, so you can convert CAB to ARJ from virtually any device with internet access.

CAB to ARJ Quality Rating

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