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How do I compress a folder and later restore it?

How to compress a folder and its subfolders

If you use the Classic interface If you use the WinZip Wizard
  1. Start WinZip.
  2. Choose New Archive from the File menu.
  3. Type the name of the archive, e.g.,
    MYDIR.ZIP
    and press the Enter key.
  4. Type the full file specification of the files you want to add, e.g.,
    C:\MYDIR\*.*
  5. Be sure the "Include subfolders" box is checked and the "Save full path info" box is not checked.
  6. Click the Add with wildcards button.
  1. Start WinZip and click Next in the Welcome panel.
  2. In the Select Activity panel, choose Create a new Zip file and click Next.
  3. Type the name of the archive, e.g.,
    C:\MYDIR.ZIP
    and click Next.
  4. Click Add Folders. Navigate to the desired folder, click to select it, and click OK to add it to the list.
  5. Click Zip Now.
Note: There are easier ways to do this, but this is the easiest to explain. In particular, using the drag-and-drop interface from My Computer or Windows Explorer can save you most of these steps.

How to decompress a folder and its subfolders

If you use the Classic interface If you use the WinZip Wizard
  1. Start WinZip and open the Zip file created in step 1 above.
  2. Choose Extract from the Actions menu.
  3. Be sure the Use folder names check box is checked.
  4. Type the destination folder, e.g.,
    C:\MYDIR
  5. Press the Extract button
  1. Start WinZip and click Next in the Welcome panel.
  2. In the Select Activity panel, choose Unzip or install from an existing Zip file and click Next.
  3. Select the Zip file created above; if the Zip does not appear in the list of files, click Search to find it. Then click Next.
  4. In the Unzip panel, use Select different folder to choose the folder where you would like to restore the compressed folders and its subfolders, then click Unzip Now.

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