What is ZIP and RAR?
For your convenience, many of the file downloads at this site are in the form of ZIP files. So what is ZIP and RAR? Put simply, ZIP (and RAR) are archive formats with strong compression, which basically allows you to bundle multiple files into one smaller, compressed file. Here are just some of the advantages of doing this:
- they require less disk space
- they take less time to download
- multiple files can be obtained simply by obtaining the one archive file (the .zip or .rar file)
While ZIP is the most popular archive format (the main reason we use it at this site), RAR isn't too far behind. It's very similar to ZIP, but they both have subtle differences and even different compression algorithms.
Creating ZIP/RAR files is very similar to copying files from one folder to another, so if you've used Windows Explorer before then you won't have any problems using archive files!
Software
Two of the most popular programs for ZIP and RAR are WinZIP (by Winzip Computing) and WinRAR (by RARLab) respectively. Both programs are easy to use, and each has its own unique advantages. Both programs require an inexpensive registration, but there are also many freeware archive programs available.
Windows XP - Native ZIP Support
Windows XP (and later) users can create and extract from ZIP files simply by using Windows Explorer, which treats and displays ZIP files in a similar fashion to regular folders. To view the contents of a ZIP file simply double-click on it from Explorer, which will then allow you to browse the ZIP file as if it were a folder.
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