How much the files are compressed depends on what kind of files they are. Note that the original files or folders that were selected are still available in non-compressed format just as before a copy is compressed into the. zip file format, featuring a piece of paper with a zipper on it, along with the word ZIP. Compress a folder that already has a name (like “Test”) and it keeps that name and adds the. If you’re just compressing one file, it will retain its name but add a. The archive file can be renamed by right-clicking on it once again, selecting Rename from the pop-up menu, and then typing in the new file name. In a flash, a file named “archive.zip” appears in the same folder as the original files. Once the files or folders are selected, right-click on one of the file icons and select Compress X items (where X is the number of items selected for compression - see image above). (Compressing four non-contiguous files into a zip file.) zip file by clicking on them, dragging across a group of files or folders, using a shift-click to select a range of files or folders, or command-click to select certain non-contiguous files or folders. Simply select the files or folders you wish to compress into a. Zipping files or folders in the Finder couldn’t be easier. It’s used in the Finder to allow files to be easily compressed and decompressed, or it can be launched by bringing up Spotlight, typing Archive Utility, and then launching the app by pressing the Return key. That utility can still be found on the Mac, tucked away in ~/System/Library/Core Services/Applications.

The ability to create zip files on the Mac has been around for a long time thanks to various zip utilities, and the feature was finally baked into the Mac operating system with OS X 10.3 through the Archive Utility. In this Tech 101 article, we tell you everything you need to know about zipping or compressing files and folders on the Mac and how to unzip files. zip file extension, these lossless compressed files became known as zip files. Thanks to the name of the popular original DOS app - PKZIP - and its. Fortunately, some geniuses figured out a way to compress the data in files into a much smaller package and then decompress it with no loss of data at a later time. Back in the ancient days, hard drives were small, floppy disks were plentiful, and email systems choked on attachments larger than a few hundred kilobytes (KB).

Archive utility mac