How to Compress Software Using WinRAR
WinRAR is archiving and decompressing software used to decrease the size of a file or a group of files for easy transfer. If you want to share software with another user or need to post it on a website for a download, then you can simply archive the installation or the setup file for the software. Once this file is decompressed, the user can execute it and then complete installation, similar to a regular download. Furthermore, you can include other information in the archive, such as the installation instructions or a passkey.
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Instructions
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1
Go to the "Start" menu, click on "Program Files," then on "WinRAR" and select "WinRAR" to launch the application. (Alternatively, you can double-click the program icon on the Desktop).
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2
Click on the "File" menu option and select "Open Archive."
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3
Browse to the location of the set-up or installation file for the software you want to compress (usually with extension ".exe") and any other file necessary for installation, such as "ReadMe.txt," for example.
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4
Double-click the selected file or files to add them to the archive. Check the archive name in the pop-up window, select the archive and compression formats (if you know what they should be; leave the default settings otherwise) and click on "OK" to compress the files. (You can check the "SFX Archive" option before clicking "OK" so that the recipient of the file will not have to install the WinRAR application.)
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Tips & Warnings
To save yourself some time, you can also simply right-click on the set-up or any other file and select "Add to Archive," which will bring up the same dialogue window as in Step 4. Proceed with archiving accordingly.
