Share ThisFor Seniors: Compress a Windows File or Folder
Compress, or shrink, a file to reduce its size. You can compress a single file in Windows, or all the files in a folder. Compressing files makes them easier to send as an e-mail attachment because they are smaller.
Right-click Start, and choose Open Windows Explorer.
The Windows Explorer window (also called Computer) opens.
Double-click a folder or series of folders to locate the folder or file that you want to compress.
As you double-click each folder, the folder's contents is displayed. Eventually, you will dig far enough to find the file or folder you want to compress.
Click to select the file or folder you want to compress.
You can select a group of files or folders to compress if you want. Click the first file or folder in the list, press and hold Shift and click the final item. To select nonconsecutive items, press the Ctrl key and click each item.
Right-click the selected item(s) and choose Send To→Compressed (Zipped) Folder.
A new compressed folder appears below the last selected file in the Windows Explorer list. The folder icon is named after the last file you selected in the series, but it’s open for editing. Type a new name or click outside the item to accept the default name.
