Zip file extension definition

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FileSystem assembly in your project. The System. Zip files can be used for a lot different things. File compression, encryption, split archives, and more are all just a few clicks away once you understand the different things that zip archives are capable of.

Photo by Clare Bell. Think of the way a folder works in Windows. You drop contents into a folder to organize your files, and then you can transport that folder to any location on your computer, and the files inside of it go with it.

What if you have a folder that contains 20 files, and need to email it to someone? This is where the definition of a zip file ends for most people. What you may not realize is that you can do much more than just compress and combine files with zip archives.

To create a zip file, right-click in a blank area on your desktop or in explorer, go to new, and select Compressed zipped Folder. With the zip file created, just select and drag your files into the zip folder. As you can see in the screenshot, the files are copied into the zip folder, and not moved or deleted from their original location.

Now, you can transfer, backup, or do whatever else you want with your zipped contents. A new window will open up and you can select where you want the files to be extracted. By default, it will extract the contents to the same directory in which your zip file resides. Just hit extract and a folder will be created that has all of the zipped files in it.

There are a bunch of programs out there that offer additional functions for zip files, but one of the most lightweight, feature-packed, and efficient is 7-Zip. Click that link to be taken to their website and download the latest version of the program. Installation is straightforward, just accept the license agreement and click next until 7-Zip is installed. After that, you should be able to highlight files, right-click them, and add them to a zip archive with 7-Zip. Remember to use a strong password, so brute force and dictionary attacks become useless.

ZipCrypto vs. ZipCrypto is weak but has fewer compatibility issues. AES is much stronger but only works with newer systems or with those that have 7-Zip installed. The definition of Zip on this page is an original TechTerms. If you would like to reference this page or cite this definition, you can use the green citation links above.

The goal of TechTerms. We strive for simplicity and accuracy with every definition we publish. If you have feedback about the Zip definition or would like to suggest a new technical term, please contact us. Want to learn more tech terms? Subscribe to the daily or weekly newsletter and get featured terms and quizzes delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe or change your frequency setting at any time using the links available in each email. For that reason, we recommend that you avoid zipping encrypted files.

Some types of files, like JPEG images, are already highly compressed. If you zip several JPEG pictures into a folder, the total size of the folder will be about the same as the original collection of pictures. Windows 10 Windows 8.

Locate the file or folder that you want to zip. Locate the zipped folder that you want to unzip extract files or folders from. Do one of the following: To unzip a single file or folder, open the zipped folder, then drag the file or folder from the zipped folder to a new location.

Notes: To add files or folders to a zipped folder you created earlier, drag them to the zipped folder. Need more help?