Compressing files or folders on Windows is a great way to save space on your hard drive, reduce the size of large files before sending them over the internet, or open compressed files someone else has sent to you. There are several easy methods available to compress files or folders on Windows.
Method 1: Using File Explorer
1. Open File Explorer (also known as Windows Explorer).
2. Navigate to the file or folder you want to compress.
3. Right-click on the file or folder and select Send to->Compressed (zipped) Folder.
4. A new compressed folder will be created in the same location as the file or folder you selected. This new compressed folder will have the same name as the original folder or file, but with the .zip extension.
5. To open the folder and view its contents, simply double-click on the zipped folder.
Method 2: Using WinRAR
1. Download the WinRAR application from the official website.
2. Double-click on the downloaded executable to install it.
3. Once installed, launch the WinRAR application.
4. You will now see the WinRAR window, click on the “Add” button at the top-left corner.
5. Navigate to the file or folder you want to compress and select them.
6. Click “OK” to start the compression process.
7. A progress bar will appear along with the estimated time remaining for the compression process to complete.
8. Once finished, a compressed file will be created in the same location as the original file or folder. This compressed file will have the same name as the original file or folder, but with the .rar extension.
9. To open the RAR file and view its contents, simply double-click on the RAR file.
Method 3: Using 7zip
1. Download the 7zip application from the official website.
2. Double-click on the downloaded executable to install it.
3. Once installed, launch the 7zip application.
4. You will now see the 7zip window, click on “Add” button at the top-left corner.
5. Navigate to the file or folder you want to compress and select them.
6. Click “OK” to start the compression process.
7. A progress bar will appear along with the estimated time remaining for the compression process to complete.
8. Once finished, a compressed file will be created in the same location as the original file or folder. This compressed file will have the same name as the original file or folder, but with the .7z extension.
9. To open the 7z file and view its contents, simply double-click on the 7z file.
It should be noted that while compression can help reduce the size of a file or folder, it may also reduce the quality of the file or folder depending on the type of compression algorithm used. Compressed files may also take longer to open, depending on the size of the compressed file.