PACL v3.50 is a set of command-line archiving utilities distributed as shareware (30-day trial, $8) but free to registered PowerArchiver users ($20). It may be used in batch files. Because it's a free-standing CLI set, installation is quite simple.

As an example of possible uses, I've added a "PACL-in-context" registry entry that places a context menu option to drive, directory, and folder right-clicks, as well as one menu generic batch and a hidden batch sample. They're not the slickest things, but serve only as general examples.

• PACL.BAT = Generic PACL archiving batch on the nu2 menu with user prompts. May be called from anywhere in the command line, the Run Dialog, or the nu2 menu. Requires user input - options for changing path, creating an encrypting ZIP, or creating another archive type. Also adds an index file to the archive.
• PACLZIP.BAT = Archive a folder to ZIP recursively from right-click context menu. Also adds an index file to the archive.
• PACLDOCS.BAT = (located in \programs\pacl350\ on BartPE) Archives all .DOC, .XLS, and .PPT files on the C:\ drive into separate ZIPs, logs each process to .log files (recursive, relative path names, no hidden files), and places all 6 files into "%temp%\pacldocs.tar," then deletes the intermediate files. No user input required. Note that this batch file makes use of the Ramdrive (%temp% variable), so the PACLDOCS archive file size is limited to how much room is in your Ramdrive. Otherwise, you can change the %temp% variable to a writable drive letter.

You can delete the entire registry section in the INF file if you don't want the context-menu options. The batch files and binaries below were added to the system32 path, and therefore may be used from any command line location; the manual (plaintext) was added to the menu.

  PAComp   is  a  Windows   95/98/NT/2000/XP  console  program   that
  compresses a variety of the most popular  compressed file  formats:
  ZIP,  CAB,  LHA,  BH (BlakHole),  JAR (JavaARchiver),  TAR,  TAR.GZ
  (GZIPed TAR) and  TAR.BZ2 (BZIPed TAR).

  PAExt is a  Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP console program that  extracts
  files from a great number of PC compressed file formats:  ZIP, RAR,
  ARJ,  CAB, LHA(LZH), ARC, ACE, GZIP,  BZIP2, TAR (TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2),
  UUE, XXE, ZOO, JAR (JavaARchiver) and self-extracting  versions  of
  most  of  these formats. PAExt can also list the contents  of  such
  archives or verify the archive contents of many of these formats.

  PAEncode is a Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP console program that encodes
  files using UUEncode, XXEncode and Base64 methods.

  PAFix is  a  Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP  console  program  that fixes
  corrupted ZIP archives.

  PASpan is a Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP console  program  that  splits
  already created ZIP archives to disks  or removable  drives. PKZIP,
  WinZip,   PowerArchiver,   and   PowerArchiver  6.11   methods  are
  supported.

  PAConv  is a batch file for converting archives (i.e. from TEST.ZIP
  to TEST.CAB) in one step.

PowerArchiver homepage (no other downloads needed)

- oion