How to Zip and Compress a File
Level of difficulty: Easy
Compressing or zipping makes the size of multiple files smaller. This makes the files easier to transmit through email as all the files are transferred as a single file. Compressing files into a single file also makes the uploading and the downloading time of a file shorter. Files compressed into a zip file also save up a lot of disk space. The contents of the file can be unzipped or extracted when they are needed.
Materials Needed:- Files to be compressed
Step 1
Locate the files needed to be compressed on the computer.
Step 2
Organize all the files to be compressed into a single folder for easier navigation. You can also put other folders into the main folder to sort out the different types of files to be compressed. These files can include photos, videos, text files, and other types of files. Name the folder with a file name that is easy to remember.
Step 3
Locate the folder of files needed to be compressed. Right click on the folder and a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 4
On the drop-down menu, choose the option 'send to'. Another drop-down menu will appear.
Step 5
On the second drop-down menu, click the icon of the folder with a zipper. This icon has the name 'Compressed (zipped) Folder'. Once you have clicked this option, a new zipped folder will appear on the location where you saved the original folder. The speed of compression will depend on the size of the files being compressed. Larger files take up more time to compress. Wait for the compression to be finished.
Step 6
Other files can also be added on the folder that has already been zipped. Simply locate the files that you would like to be added inside the zipped folder. Open the zipped folder.
Step 7
Click on the files that you will add and drag them inside the zipped folder. This action automatically adds the chosen files inside the zipped folder. You can also right click on the files to be added and choose the option 'copy'.
Step 8
Go to the folder that has already been compressed. Open the zipped folder. Inside the folder, right click on a blank space and choose the option 'paste'. The files are then added inside the compressed folder.