In the sprawling universe of file compression, names like WinRAR, 7-Zip, and WinZip reign supreme. However, lurking in the dark corners of early 2000s software forums is a tool with an intimidating name and an equally intimidating promise: .

from your start menu, then browse to the location of your file. Initiate Extraction Select the file inside the manager and click the

(for Windows) or the command-line version for Unix-like systems.

PPMd is a statistical modeling algorithm. Instead of looking for duplicate blocks of data (like traditional compressors), PPMd looks at the probability of the next character . It predicts what comes next based on the previous context.

Open the first piece (usually .001 or .part1) using the KGB Archiver software . The program will automatically "stitch" the pieces together to recreate the original file. 3. Key Software Options

Have a stubborn KGB file you can't open? Leave a comment below (or visit our recovery forums), but remember our first rule: Always scan for viruses first.