WinRAR earliest builds: 1.54b, 1.55b, 2.06
https://archive.org/details/@der_appleseed
Builds 1.54b and 1.55b are the earliest known Windows 3.1 builds of a previously DOS only program. They are NE/16bit and run without external support files.
Version 2.06 contains both a Windows 3.1 executable (that requires Win32s) and a fully compliant Windows 95 executable. It is the last build to support Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.1, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 3.51 and Win32s.
For the features noted above, I find them significant in the long history of RAR. Eugene Roshal made a big splash on Usenet when his RAR with "solid" algorithm hit the scene. Almost overnight, RAR displaced ZIP, ARJ, LZH and a host of other early compression utils. His very well designed Norton Commander-like interface no doubt also played a role in its fast adoption.
Edit: Yes I know there are other 2.x builds. But as noted above, 2.06 is a change point for Win 3.x users.
Builds 1.54b and 1.55b are the earliest known Windows 3.1 builds of a previously DOS only program. They are NE/16bit and run without external support files.
Version 2.06 contains both a Windows 3.1 executable (that requires Win32s) and a fully compliant Windows 95 executable. It is the last build to support Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.1, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 3.51 and Win32s.
For the features noted above, I find them significant in the long history of RAR. Eugene Roshal made a big splash on Usenet when his RAR with "solid" algorithm hit the scene. Almost overnight, RAR displaced ZIP, ARJ, LZH and a host of other early compression utils. His very well designed Norton Commander-like interface no doubt also played a role in its fast adoption.
Edit: Yes I know there are other 2.x builds. But as noted above, 2.06 is a change point for Win 3.x users.
Comments
RAR earliest builds:
http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=696
WinRAR earliest builds:
http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=781
It's easier to navigate that site today, because Brave Browser offers translation - which some times, but not always - works.
I will also note: my current internet provider will not allow access to that site (cites unsafe), and many current browsers will not accept non secure (http) links.
In fact, I just now had to ditch my Proton VPN account and switch to Hide Me VPN
because Proton will not allow what it considers "P2P downloads" from from old-dos.ru.
I am so damn tired of this nanny state the world is becoming.
https://disk.yandex.ru/d/NCUNLIZtXnGknQ?ncrnd=5208
Some time ago, these links worked for older builds:
ftp://ftp.rarlab.com/rar/
http://www.win-rar.com/fileadmin/winrar-versions/
http://fami.codefreak.ru/mirrors/ftp.rarlab.com/rar/
I have no idea if any are still active.