Compressing a File on Windows
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How to Compress Files on Windows
Introduction
Compressing files makes them easier to send via email or other means. This guide will show you how to compress files using Windows File Explorer.
Selecting Files to Compress
To start, open Windows File Explorer and navigate to the files you wish to compress. You can select multiple files in the following ways:
- To select a single file, simply click on it.
- To select multiple files in a sequence, click the first file, hold the Shift key, and click the last file.
- To select non-sequential files, hold the Ctrl key and click each file you wish to include.
In this example, we will compress Test 1 and Test 2.
Compressing the Selected Files
- Once you have highlighted the files, right-click on one of the selected files.
- A context menu will appear. Hover over Send to, and another menu will drop down.
- Click on Compressed (zipped) folder.
This action will create a new compressed folder. You can name this folder as desired. For this example, we'll call it zipped folder.
Resulting Compressed Folder
After compressing, you will see the original files Test 1 and Test 2, along with the new compressed folder named zipped folder. This zipped folder contains both files, ready to be sent.
Extracting Files from a Compressed Folder
If you receive a compressed folder, you can easily extract its contents:
- Double-click the compressed folder to open it.
- You will see the contained files (e.g., Test 1 and Test 2).
- Click the Extract all button at the top of the window.
- Specify the destination folder by clicking Browse, or use the default location.
- Click Extract to extract the files.
After extraction, you will see the files in the specified location.
Conclusion
Compressing files on Windows is a straightforward process that makes sharing files easier. By following these steps, you can quickly compress and send files, as well as extract files from received compressed folders.