So you’ve just finished downloading, and you now have a secret “.zip” file sitting on your hard drive. You’ve heard of Zip and WinZip, but no one has explained it to you yet. What are you doing now?
‘Zipping’ and ‘unzipping’ is a file management technique for packing multiple files into one small package. Delete and unzip are very common for sending email attachments, downloading, and FTP.
Let’s take a look at compressing its smaller parts:
Question 1: What is a Zip File?
Answer: A Zip file is sometimes called an “archive” file. The Zip file itself is just a container. It keeps the real files inside it. The purpose behind a Zip file is transport and storage. Zip files work like Ziploc sandwich bags – it holds content inside for easy transport and storage. This makes Zip files (and reciprocal Rar files) very valuable for file sharing and downloaders.
Q2: How do Zip files work?
Answer: A Zip file achieves three things:
- It bundles one or more files into a single container.
- It compresses (stores) its content to be 90% smaller in size.
- It is possible to provide an optional password key on its content.
Q3: Is ‘Zip’ the same as ‘WinZip’?
Answer: Although many people confuse the two, they are technically different.
- “Zip” is the general file format of an archive.
- ” WinZip “, like ” WinRAR ” or ” PKZip “, is special software that creates and manages Zip files.
