In this article, we will look at the concept of “archiving” and get acquainted with how to archive files. And although this may look intimidating, in fact this process is quite simple.
What is archiving?
Archiving is a process of compressing information, that is, reducing its size. Perhaps, almost everyone heard about archiving. We will try to understand in more detail. For example, your file occupies 1 MB of disk space. Archiving allows you to reduce the size of the document without losing the quality of the source information. That is, after compression, it will weigh 700 KB. In addition, archiving allows you to combine several documents into one document at once, in other words, pack it. For example, you have about 25 text documents. To send them all in one letter, you have to attach each document separately. And if you archive the entire folder, then you have to attach only one document - the archive. It is very convenient and fast.
File Archiving
First you need to check if there is a program for archiving files on your PC . To do this, right-click on any document. In the menu you should see the line “Add to archive”, “WinRar” or “7 Zip”. If such a line exists, then an archiver is already installed on your computer. If there is no line, then you have to download WinRaR 7 Zip or any other program for archiving. Archivers can be free and paid. WinRaR is a paid program, and 7 Zip can be downloaded for free.
Archiving data with WinRar
Now we will learn how to compress information using WinRar. To solve the problem of how to archive files, you need to right-click on the file or folder directly. A menu will open where you should select “WinRar”, and then “Add to Archive” or “Add to”. In the window that appears, we can determine the compression parameters, that is, we can choose the archive format, divide the archive into volumes, what is necessary, if the file weighs a lot, determine the name of the future archive, the place to save it, as well as additional options. Additional options include the ability to delete the source file after compression, create a password-locked archive, a continuous archive, and so on. It is also possible to check the received archive after the archiving procedure. We determine the compression parameters and click on "OK".
A status window will appear where we can monitor how the compression procedure is going and how long it will take. It is necessary to wait until it disappears. If you decide to cancel the process of archiving a document or change the parameters, then the process can be canceled.
After the status window disappears, an archive will appear in the folder you specified. Now you know how to archive files in WinRaR. You can compare how much disk space it takes and how much the original file weighed. As a rule, archives weigh significantly less. However, this method will not be able to provide a large compression of films, music and images. To do this, you will have to use another program.
Archiving data with 7 Zip
The 7 Zip program is free. In this program, archiving files is also quite simple. You must also right-click on the folder or file that you want to add to the archive and select "7 Zip". Then, in the additional menu, select "Add to ...". The name of the archive may be different, but the extension will be zip. A status window will also appear where the progress of the backup will be reflected. After it disappears, the backup will be completed.
Now you know how to archive files and folders. It is quite simple, but it saves space on your hard drive and your time. You yourself can choose which archiver, free or paid, to give preference. However, such a program is necessary on every computer, since most of the information on the Internet is stored in the form of archives.