When working on a personal computer, very often there is a need to reduce the size of a file in order to save space on a hard drive or removable drive. For example, you need to copy a file from one computer to another using a floppy disk. Or you need to send a large file by e-mail. If you reduce its size, you save a lot of time, and if the Internet is not unlimited, then money. In such situations, the best solution is to create a compressed file. How to create an archive? That's what this file is called.
Definition
An archive is a single file that can contain many other compressed files to save memory. To work with such data, there are special software products called archivers. With their help, you can pack files, extract them, and view the contents of these very archives. The process of compressing and packing information is called archiving, and unpacking is called unzipping.
Formats
There are several compressed file formats. The most common are RAR, ZIP, TAR, CAB. It is these three letters that become the extension of the compressed file. The format type affects the degree of compression. For example, a RAR archive weighs less than a ZIP. The format of the packed files also affects the efficiency. Some can be compressed by only two times, while others can be compressed by four or more. There are formats that are not compressed at all. How to create an archive using such a program?
The most convenient tool is a well-known archiver called WinRAR. With it, it is possible to create both ZIP and RAR archives. And it can view and unpack compressed files of other formats without any problems.
Sequence of actions
In order to answer the question of how to create a RAR archive, you need to do some simple operations. To begin with, the necessary files are selected. If there are a lot of them, then it is convenient to use the selection with the mouse while holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard. If you press the combination CTRL + A, then absolutely all the files in this directory will be selected. If this method is somewhat inconvenient, then you can use the "File" menu of the archiver program. You must select the "Add" item, then in the window that appears, enter the name that the user wants to assign to the archive being created. Here you can also choose the format: ZIP or RAR. The second one is set by default because it compresses much better, and most often there is no need to change it. In the case when you need to transfer the archiveanother user, it is better to ask him in advance if he has a program capable of working with the selected file format.
Multi-volume archives
Diskettes are used less and less, but they are still found. And if you need to record a large archive on them, then it is created as a multi-volume archive. It consists of parts called volumes. How to create an archive of this type? To do this, in the "Volume Size" section, select 1475500. This number indicates the size of the floppy disk. In this case, it is better to check the "For recovery" box so that you can restore the archive if suddenly the data in it is somehow damaged. After all, a floppy disk is not the most reliable drive.
Self-extracting archives
It happens that a compressed file is unpacked on a computer, even if a special program is not installed. How to create a self-extracting archive? To do this, files are selected for packaging, then, by pressing the right mouse button, you need to select the "Add to archive" item. Important: this item is available only when the WinRAR archiver is installed. Then the format is also selected. In the parameters, you need to specify that this will be an SFX archive. It remains only to click on the "OK" button and everything will be ready.
As you can see from the above, the answer to the question of how to create an archive is not difficult. All you need is the appropriate software, a little patience and direct hands. But the consequences of acquiring skills are only positive: saving space in memory, more free time when transferring files, convenience. You can also teach other beginners. After all, it will also be useful for them to know how to createarchive.
