How to Zip a File in Windows

Zip a file to speed up download time.

There are many email providers that limit the size of content you can attach to your email. Zipping your files before attaching them will compress the size of the file and make your upload, send and download time much faster. Here is one of the simplest ways to do it.

Instructions

1. Locate the file you wish to compress on your computer.

2. Right-click on the file that you want to zip. From the pop-up window, select "Send To" and another box will open. Click "Compressed (zipped) Folder." A new folder with a zipper image on it will appear in the same general area (desktop or folder in which the original item was saved). This is your newly compressed folder.

3. If you would like to add more files into the new compressed file, open up the zipped file folder, find the other items you would like to place in it, then click on the files and drag them into the zip folder. The file will subsequently compress and copy into the folder.

4. Now that you have all your files into the compressed folder, you can go into your email and attach as you see fit.

Tips & Warnings

• For large or multiple files, it is best to use a dedicated zip program, such as WinZip (winzip.com).

• Zipping large files is a great way to save space on your hard drive. It's also an excellent tool to use when backing up your computer onto an external hard drive, flash drive or discs. This will make file recovery much faster.

• Zipping files will decrease the amount of time it will take to share files through instant messengers as well.

• This tutorial was not made for Mac computers.

References

• Microsoft Office: Zip or Unzip a File