Step 2: Right-click the file to bring up the shortcut menu. Step 1: Locate the file or folder that you want to zip. Note that these steps are going to create a new file in the same folder, with a filename that you can specify.
The steps in this article were performed in Windows 7, but will also work in other versions of Windows such as Windows 8 or Windows 10.
How to Zip a File or Folder in Windows 7 (Guide with Pictures) Our guide continues below with additional information and pictures for these steps. Type a name for the zip file, then press Enter.Select the Compressed (zipped) folder option.
This will create a zip file in the same location as the file or folder that you are choosing to zip. Our guide below is going to show you how to zip a file or a folder in Windows 7, using only the default zipping utility that is a part of the operating system.
Your recipient will simply receive the single, zipped file, which they can then unzip on their own computer to see all of the files. This is where the ability to create a zip folder in Windows 7 comes in handy.īy zipping a file or folder you are not only reducing the size of the file, you are also making it much simpler to send a large number of files in an email. They allow you to minimize clutter in larger folders by creating a sort of filing system.īut creating a folder doesn’t do anything to minimize the size of the files contained within them, and you can’t send an entire folder through an email. To extract individual files or folders, open the compressed folder and then drag the files or folders you want to extract to a new location.Folders are a very helpful organizational tool in Windows 7.
Choose the location for the extracted filesģ. To extract everything in a compressed folder, just right-click on the Compressed Folder and then click Extract all.Ģ.
Unzipping files in Windows 10 is just as easy as zipping them.ġ. Now you can ZIP any file by simply selecting the file that you want to zip and dragging it to the new zipped folder that you have just created. Compress the folder by clicking on Send to and choosing Compressed (zip) Folder on the side menu Create a new folder (call it zipped folder or anything that suits you)ģ. Zip Files By Adding them to a Zipped Folderġ. Navigate to the Share tab in File Explorer. Locate the Files or Folders that you want to compress.Ĥ. Click on Windows 10 Start button (located at bottom left of your screen)ģ. You can search for the files using file explorer and compress them right from the Files Explorer’s Zip Menu.ġ. This is convenient for those files which are not located on your desktop. Window 10 File Explorer offers a dedicated Zip tab in its ribbon menu. Zipping Files From Windows 10 File Explorer Hit Enter to accept the suggested filename or change the file name. Navigate to Send to and select Compressed (zipped) folder.Ĥ. After selecting all the files, Right-click while still holding down the Ctrl keyģ. Since the files are non-consecutive, hold down the Ctrl key and click on individual files that you want to select for compressingĢ. Zipping Non Consecutive Multiple Filesįollow these steps when you want only the selected files from a group of files in a folder or desktop to be zipped.ġ. Next click on Compressed (zipped) folder (see image below)ĥ. After selecting all the files, Right-clickģ. You can try this or select files one by one by holding the Ctrl Key (if this suits you better).Ģ. A faster way to select all consecutive files in a folder is to click on the first file, hold down the Shift key and then click on the last file. Zipping Consecutive Multiple Filesįollow these steps in case you are trying to zip multiple consecutive files in a folder, all of which need to be zipped.ġ. Hit Enter to accept the suggested filename, or you can change the file name to whatever you want to. On the side menu select Compressed (zipped) folder (see image below)ĥ. On the drop down menu locate Send to and click on it.Ĥ. Select the File or Folder that you want to compress.ģ. Now that we know about the advantages of zipping files, let us explore a few methods of zipping files and folders in Windows 10.
Zipped files/folders can also be password protected and encrypted to protect data. This makes it easier to share a group of files.Ĥ. You can zip multiple files into a single compressed folder. Zipped files are easier and quicker to share, as they take up less spaceģ.