Free WAV to MP3 converter needed (must NOT be a virus)

[Sketcz]

I need a free, trustworthy WAV to MP3 converter, which I can use OFFLINE, and can be installed WITHOUT a net connection.

I've spent about an hour trawling the net. Firstly NOTHING from Download.com can get through my ESET firewall, because it says everything is infected. So, nothing from them.

I did get a few from different sites. One installed but said as a trial version it only converts 60%. **** that.

Another needed to be online to connect to a server to download extra components. **** that.

Another tried to install some bull**** called Babylon 9, a language converter program, which wasn't what I wanted at all!

Any advice guys? It really should not be this hard!

[EvilBoris]

ITUNES
BLEURGH

Good chance you may even have it already

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1550

[Sketcz]

I don't have ITUNES. Nor do I feel like getting it.

I'm on a Windows XP PC, by the way. Absolutely hate Macs and anything by Apple (it's bad enough I'm forced to use that stuff at work).

EDIT:
But thanks for the reply Boris.

[briareos_kerensky]

Doesn't the old and trusty CDex work? I stopped using it long time ago, but when I had WinXP it was my favourite program from CD-to-MP3 and WAV-to-MP3 conversions.

[monel]

CDex, served me well in many a time of need.

[charlesr]

Exact Audio Copy: http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
This will do pretty much everything.

Its main purpose it to make bit perfect copies of CDs. These bit perfect copies are stored as WAVs and then converted to other things of your choosing. However, if you already have WAVs it can also just do that conversion step.

Before you start, go to EAC/Compression Options. The first tab is "waveform". If the options here are selectable you are good to go. If they are greyed out, let me know.

To start compressing a wav to mp3, go to Tools/Compress WAVs.
Should be fairly obvious after that.

Note: the reason that the options might be greyed out is that during install it asks if you want to use FLAC for compression - this is pretty much the standard format for audiophile compression now (it's like a zip file - it unzips to exactly the same quality as the original CD (or WAV) (unlike mp3 which destroys information to save space), but you need devices that can play FLAC files if you want to use this option - it's not a universal format like mp3 - getting more so (my phone and mp3player play them).

[Lyris]

Foobar2000 can convert between formats.

[Jamie]

I use Audacity for any sort of audio processing:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

[charlesr]

Yeah, audacity is good - a bit more userfriendly than EAC at converting stuff too.

[Sketcz]

Cheers guys, will check all of these.