Sometimes files are too big to be managed easily. To solve this issue, files are compressed to take up less space. An archive allows several files to be wrapped up in a single package, which is helpful since often software consists of more than one file. Compressed files and archives take up less space and make file management easier, particularly when transferring files across the Internet. Often software that can be downloaded, for example, comes in compressed and archived form. Sometimes software is stored in a self-extracting archive, an archive that will decompress itself when it is run; these archives have the extension .exe . For files that have the extension .zip , however, you need special software to decompress. WinZip can decompress these files.

WinZip is a handy piece of software that will decompress software archives and install the compressed software for you. (WinZip can also compress files and create archives, for more information on those topics, please refer to the Help Manual that is included with WinZip).

You can download WinZip from the Shareware page at [ https://shareware.unc.edu/software.html#w ] https://shareware.unc.edu using a web browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. Click on the Download button to download WinZip. WinZip comes in a self-extracting archive; simply double-click on it to expand the files, and then run the install program.

WinZip Wizard or WinZip Classic Interface?

The WinZip Wizard interface is ideal if you are new to WinZip or if you are not real familiar with zip files. It takes you through a wizard that guides you through the process of quickly unzipping or zipping files.

The WinZip Classic interface is for more advanced users. The interface is similar to the Windows Explorer interface. With WinZip Classic, it gives the power user more advanced features.

It is not hard to switch between the two interfaces. In both interfaces, there is a button that will allow you to switch from one to the other.

You might want to specify how you work with folders. In the Wizard interface, click on the Options button and choose the Default Unzip Folder tab. This is where you can tell WinZip where you want the unzipped files to go by default.

In the Classic interface, you can open an archive with WinZip in three ways: double-click on the archive icon to launch the program; drag the archive icon onto the WinZip program window; or use the standard Open dialog box. The main WinZip window will display the names, sizes, and dates of all files in the archive.

Once you have the archive opened, you may want to save the files in their decompressed state. In the Classic Interface, click on the Extract icon and choose where you want to save the files. If you want to extract only some of the files in the archive, select the files before clicking on Extract . Then "Selected Files" will be an option in the Extract window.

If the archive contains software, you can use WinZip to install the software. The Install feature is available if an archive contains an install or setup program. To access the Install command in the Classic interface, go to the Actions menu and click on Install . When you click on the Install option, WinZip will run the Install or Setup file that comes with the software. You will be prompted to specify where you want the files saved. If the Install option is not available, but you recognize an installable file, you can use the CheckOut Feature to try to install the software in the archive.

The CheckOut feature is a part of the Classic interface. It allows you to examine or run files in an archive. It creates a program group and an icon for each file in the archive. You can then try out the software. WinZip will optionally close the window and delete the temporary folder (and the extracted files) when you close the archive or close WinZip.

Winzip has a product support website that is located at [ http://www.winzip.com ] www.winzip.com . WinZip comes with built-in help. You can click on the Help button within WinZip or you click on the Help Manual that is located under Program Files.