I'm no hacker, but I bet I can crack a Zip file's password in minutes. Impressed? Don't be. Cracking passwords doesn't require much skill at all -- if you have the right tool for the job. Today Roger tells you where to find the right tool and shows you how to use it.
Is it legal?
PicoZip Recovery Tool is a free program that makes cracking Zip passwords as easy as pushing a button. There are a few valid reasons for using this free file:
- You forgot the password and you need to access a zipped file.
- Someone gave you a password-protected file on floppy or CD and went on vacation without telling you the password.
- You've run across a zipped download that's password-protected. (It's rare, but it does happen.)
Cracking the code
The program randomly tries various passwords until it finds the correct one. You can have it search in two different ways: dictionary or brute force.
The dictionary method, as the name implies, uses words right out of the dictionary to find the right password. Foreign-language dictionaries are also available for download.
The brute force method uses random combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols. You can also specify a range for the brute force crack. Some choices include just numbers and both uppercase and lowercase letters.
Instructions
- Select the encrypted Zip file.
- Choose which recovery method you want the program to use to crack the password: dictionary or brute force.
- Hit the Start button and watch the program go to work.
Speed
These hacks take time because the program needs to run through numerous combinations before it hits the correct password. We tested the program on an encrypted Zip file with "cat" as the password. The dictionary method found the password in little more than a minute. In that time PicoZip Recovery Tool ran through some 200,000 possible passwords.
If you ever need to access important Zip files protected by a password, the PicoZip Recovery Tool has you covered.
Download PicoZip Recovery Tool now
