I have a directory that I would like to password protect and encrypt. I am using PeaZip to do this using 7zip compression. I'd like to use the 7z like a directory and hard drive space is not a concern, so I have opted for the "Store" compression level, thinking that this would also lead the the fastest decompression time. But if I can make the files take up less space without impacting functionality and decompression time, than I would prefer this. How does 7zip's compression level affect decompression speed?
As a note, I will likely be editing files within the 7z and will be adding files to it over time.
Best Answer
As I recall, 7-Zip decompression takes about the same amount of processing regardless of compression level -- the difference is in how much memory is used during decompression (mainly due to the size of the dictionary). However, in the "store" case, there's no decompression to do at all, so that's obviously going to be significantly faster than any actual decompression case.
That said, if you mainly want an encrypted folder, you're probably better off using a TrueCrypt container, as archives are not designed for frequent updating. But if you insist on using 7-Zip, at least make sure to create a non-solid archive.