Depending on the file type, you can dramatically
reduce the amount of disk space used by one or more files by compressing
those files into a zipped folder. Don't be fooled by the name: a zipped
folder (also known as a Zip file or archive) is actually a single file,
compressed using the industry-standard Zip format and saved with the
.zip file name extension. Any version of Windows can open a file saved
in this format, as can other modern operating systems. The format is
also accessible with the help of many third-party utilities. Thus, zipped folders are an ideal way to compress large files for e-mailing or transferring across a network, including the internet.
Note:
Windows
Explorer compresses and decompresses files in zipped folders on the fly,
displaying the contents of an archive in a window that closely
resembles a folder. But most applications do not support this format.
Thus, to view a WordPad document stored in a zipped folder, you need to
double-click the zipped folder in Windows Explorer to display its
contents and then double-click the file. If you try the same task using
Word-Pad's Open command, you'll open the binary Zip file itself and
display its unreadable contents. (If you want to edit a file stored in a
Zip file, be sure to extract it to a local or network folder first.)
To create a new archive using zipped folders, follow these steps:
In Windows Explorer, display the folder in which you want the new archive to reside.
Right-click any empty space in the folder.
From the shortcut menu, choose New, Compressed (Zipped) Folder.
To add files and folders
to your archive, drag and drop them onto the zipped folder icon in
Windows Explorer (or double-click to open the zipped folder in its own
window and then drag items into it). You can also use the Clipboard to
copy and paste items. To remove an item from the zipped folder,
double-click to display its contents and then right-click and choose
Delete from the shortcut menu
Using the Send To menu,
you can create an archive and copy one or more files or folders to it in
one step. After selecting the files or folders you want to include in
the new zipped folder, right-click and choose Send To, Compressed
(Zipped) Folder. Windows creates an archive file with the same name as
the current selected object. Use the Rename command (or press F2) to
replace the default name with a more descriptive one.
To extract individual files or folders from a zipped
folder, open it in Windows Explorer and then drag the items you want to
extract to a new location, or use the Clipboard to copy and paste. To
extract all items from a zipped folder to a specific location, right-click the zipped folder icon
and choose Extract All, or open the zipped folder in Windows Explorer
and click the Extract All Files button on the toolbar.
One feature that was
available with zipped folders in Windows XP is gone from Win dows 7.
When creating a new archive, you no longer have the option to add a pass
word to protect the file from casual snoops. The alternative is to use a
third-party program. You have many choices, including the venerable WinZip (winzip.com), which costs $30 per copy. We prefer two freeware alternatives. The simple SecureZIP Express (securezip.com) was developed by PKWare, whose founder originally created the Zip format. A full-featured alternative is IZArc (izarc.org), which supports a huge number of compression
formats, including ISO disk images, and also allows you to secure
compressed files using 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
encryption. It integrates neatly into Windows Explorer.
