To compress a file or folder in Windows, you can use the built-in compression tool. This tool can be found in the File Explorer, which is the window that opens when you click on a folder icon on your desktop.
1. Open the File Explorer and find the folder or file you want to compress. Right-click on the file or folder and select ‘Send To’, then select ‘Compressed (zipped) folder’.
2. Windows will create a zipped version of that file or folder in the same location. The new zipped folder will have the same name as the original folder, but with the addition of “.zip” to the end.
3. If you wish to add multiple files or folders to the same compressed folder, select them all by holding down the ‘Ctrl’ key and clicking each item with the mouse. Then right-click on any of the selected files or folders, select ‘Send To’ and choose ‘Compressed (zipped) folder’.
4. You can open the new compressed folder by double-clicking it. All files and folders inside the zip folder can then be accessed as normal.
5. If you want to extract the contents of the compressed folder, right-click on it, select ‘Extract All’, choose a location to save the extracted files, and click ‘Extract’.
6. You can also add password protection to your compressed folders, by right-clicking on the folder and selecting ‘Add a password’. Enter a password you will remember, confirm it and click ‘OK’. Now, anyone who wants to open the folder must know the password.
By using the above steps, you can compress a file or folder in Windows easily and quickly. Compressing files allows you to save space on your computer, as well as make sending large folders through email easier.