Do you want to send a number of files to someone at the same time via email? Want to save some space on your hard drive by merging all the old images? Keep curious eyes away from important documents? ZIP files help you save space, organize files better, and encrypt sensitive information. Follow this guide to create ZIP files in both Windows and Mac OS X.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Creating a ZIP file in Windows
Step 1. Create a folder for the ZIP file
The fastest way to create a ZIP file is to put all the files you want to archive in one folder. Here you can place multiple files and folders.
Give the folder a suitable name. This will automatically be the name of the ZIP file as well
Step 2. Right click on the folder
Hover your cursor over the 'Copy to' option. This will open a new submenu. Select 'Compressed folder'.
You can also select multiple files in Windows Explorer, right-click on one of the selected files, and then follow the previous step. The ZIP file this creates will contain all the selected files and will be named after the file you clicked
Step 3. Wait for the folder to be created
Depending on the total size of the files you want to compress, this may take a while. When the procedure has been completed, the ZIP is ready at the location of the original folder.
Method 2 of 3: Creating a ZIP file in Mac OS X
Step 1. Create a folder for the ZIP file
The fastest way to create a ZIP file is to put all the files you want to archive in one folder. You can place multiple files and folders here.
Give the folder a suitable name. This will automatically be the name of the ZIP file as well
Step #2. Right click on the folder
Click on the 'Compress' option. The folder will be compressed to a ZIP file. The new ZIP file will be in the same location as the folder you compressed.
You can also select multiple files in Explorer, right-click on one of the selected files, and then follow the previous step. The ZIP file this creates will contain all the selected files and will be named after the file you clicked
Method 3 of 3: Creating a secure ZIP file
Step 1. Download a compression program
Newer versions of Windows are not able to create a secure ZIP without additional software. Fortunately, there are several free programs available for compressing and protecting files. The main ones are:
- 7-Zip
- IZArc
- PeaZip
Step 2. Create a new archive file
Use your compression program to create a new ZIP file. Add the files to compress. While creating the ZIP file, you will be given the option to enter a password. You will then need this again to be able to extract or open the file.
Step 3. Creating a Secure ZIP File in OS X
To create a password-protected ZIP file in OS X, use the Terminal. There is no need to download any other program. First, place all the files you want to compress in one folder. Now give the folder a name. This will also be the name of the ZIP file.
- Open the Terminal. These can be found in the Utilities tab, in Programs.
- Navigate to the folder to be compressed.
- Enter the following command:
- Make a password. You must enter your password twice to confirm it. Once you have entered your password, the ZIP file will be created.
zip –er.zip/*