How to Compress a File

File compression is a method in which large files are compressed into smaller-sized files which is supported by a specific compression software. This is a very useful method if you want to email several files or folders which are large in size. You just need to compress files in a particular folder and send it via email. To access those files, the receiver will need to have the same software with which the files have been compressed.

He needs to open the files and folders in the compression software, and then extract them to convert them to their original format. Even if the files are compressed into a smaller file size, their quality remains the same. File compression is definitely a useful way to save space. There are many software available in the market which are specially intended to be used for the purpose of compressing files. Below are some software and methods used for this purpose.

How to Compress a File Using WinZip?

WinZip is considered the best file compression tool, and is used by a majority of people all over the world. It's trial version can be downloaded from the Internet for free. It certainly does the job in an efficient manner. It compresses the files selected, and puts them together in a single file which is known as a .zip file. This file is way smaller in size than the original files' size, and takes up less memory space. If you then want to view the contents in the file, you need to run the WinZip software and unzip or extract the files. This process may sound confusing at first, but it is really a very simple task.

Run the WinZip application, and select the 'New' icon which is at the upper left hand corner of the application window. Choose a folder or a drive where you would prefer to save the .zip file. You will have to name the compressed file before adding files to the archive. After naming the file, a new window will appear that will allow you to add a file that you want to compress. For adding multiple files, you need to click on the 'add' icon. As you keep adding multiple files, the files are compressed and stored in the folder which you named for storing the compressed files. When all the selected files have been compressed, you may click on 'File' option, and select 'close archive'.

How to Compress a File Using WinRAR?

WinRAR is also a very famous tool used for file compression. You can download it's trial version from the Internet. Even if the trial period expires, you can still use it without any issues, but you will get a smaller window notifying that the trial period has expired. To start with the file compression process, run the WinRAR application and click on the 'Add' icon which is on the top left of the application window. Name the file to store compressed files, and select the compression format. It is recommended that you choose the .rar format as it's compression rate is much higher than the .zip format. After selecting the format, click on the 'File' menu and add the files you want to compress. Press the 'OK' button to start the compression process. A rar extractor can be used to retrieve the files. In this way you can make large-sized files into smaller-sized files without affecting the original quality.

Like the above mentioned software, there are many other file compression applications that are available in the market. I hope this article would have provided useful information on how to compress a file.