How to zip files

Multiple files can be compressed into one file using zip compression. Zip files are supported on all major operating systems including Windows and Mac.

Zipping files in Windows

From Windows XP to Windows 7, not much has changed in how a zip file is created. Select the files you want to zip together (this can also be just one file), and then in XP right click the file(s) and point to 'New', then click 'Compressed (zipped) Folder'. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, the menu name has changed from 'New' to 'Send to', otherwise the steps are identicle. In Windows 8, however, to create a zip file you first need to find the files you want to zip and then click the 'Share' tab and then select 'zip'. This will create a zip file in the same directory as the original files.

Zipping files in Mac OS X

To create a zip file using Mac OS X, select the file(s) and right click. In the menu, select 'Compress'. If you have one file selected, it will show the file name behind 'Compress', otherwise it will show the number of files and folder selected.