Splitting and joining files may sound very “techy” but it’s really not hard to do and even the most inexperienced computer user can sometimes use this little trick to solve size-related issues of large files such as splitting them into smaller chunks that can be sent via e-mail as attachments or stored onto multiple storage devices and join them to recreate the original file at a later time.
File Splitter and Joiner is the name of this simple, free solution. This tiny application is as straightforward and easy to use as possible. Even though it’s not one of the tools one could need on a daily basis, pretty much anyone could find it useful at some point for solving a file size related problem.
Installation & Requirements
The installation of File Splitter and Joiner has only one setup window where the user can choose to create a Desktop icon and integrate the program into the Shell Context Menu. Despite the freeware status of this utility, the installation doesn’t contain any ads or other applications.
File Splitter and Joiner runs on all Windows platforms and it’s such a small program that it doesn’t have any other requirements.
Interface
File Splitter and Joiner has a clean, tabbed GUI with three categories (tabs): Splitting, Joining and MD5 Checksum.
In the Splitting section the user can choose the file to be split and the output directory. You can split a file in a number of equal parts or create a new part after a certain size (defineable in bytes, kilobytes, megabytes and gigabytes). Additionally you can choose to delete the source file after splitting and encrypt the split parts so that no one can join them to restore the original file without the password you set.
Joining files is just as easy as splitting them. All you have to do is go to the directory where the split parts are, select the first one and choose the location and name of the output file (by default it will be the same as the one of the split parts). There are also options for the case when split parts are not in the same location and to delete split parts after the joining process is complete.
The MD5 Checksum tab is very useful for checking the data integrity of your files. All you have to do is select the file and the program will calculate the MD5 checksum. If the sum of the file is not the same as the one of the original file, it means it’s corrupt.
Pros
– Very fast, adware-free installation.
– Easy to understand features and options.
– Drag & drop support.
– The MD5 checksum is very useful to check the integrity of your files.
– Capable of joining parts produced by HJ-Split.
Cons
– Shell Context Menu is not always properly installed. In that case the program can only be accesed via its desktop icon.
– A user manual is available, but there is no link to it from the program’s interface. It’s only accessible on the developer’s website.
Alternatives
– HJ-Split
– WinSplit
Conclusion
You won’t find tons of features hidden in multiple windows and sub-sections in File Splitter and Joiner. The program is very simple and that’s what makes it valuable despite a few minor issues such as the hard way of accessing it’s support documentation. Most of the time, you probably won’t need it since File Joiner and Splitter is very easy to use thanks to its transparent interface and self-explanatory options.
