Create Compressed Files With WinRAR
Instructions for Creating a Compressed File Using WinRAR:
Apr 13, 2009
Creating an archive or compressed file using WinRAR is very easy, even easier once you have integrated the software into your Windows Shell Environment. For help to integrate the two systems, see the article “Compressed Files Save Space.”
Creating an archive or compressed file using WinRAR:
Open My Computer or Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder holding what needs distributing, emailing, or backing up in a compressed file. After locating the folder or files to compress:
- Right-click on the files or folder to compress.
- From the context menu choose WinRAR > Add to archive...
- In the window that opens set the following options:
• Archive Name: This is the name and path of the compressed file created with WinRAR; by default the file name is the folder to compress and it will be placed in the same location. To change the name of the compressed file enter a new one, to change where WinRAR creates the file click Browse.
• Update mode: This should be Add and replace in most cases. Once WinRAR has been used as a tool for regularly creating backups this setting tells WinRAR to add new or modified files to the compressed archive. The Add and replace is used by WinRAR to create new compressed files.
• Archive Format: Set to RAR. WinRAR creates two types of compressed files, RAR and ZIP. While ZIP compressed files are more common, they are not always the best compression method.
• Compression method: This controls how WinRAR compresses the file. The better the compression method the smaller the compressed file. Options include:
- Store: WinRAR adds files to archive without compression.
- Fastest: WinRAR's least compressive method.
- Fast: WinRAR uses a Fast compression method.
- Normal: The default compression method in WinRAR.
- Good: Good compression with WinRAR.
- Best: This setting gives the best WinRAR compression, but also takes longest.
• Split to volumes; bytes: Split the compressed file into smaller pieces to fit on a CD-ROM, or for easier downloading. WinRAR can divide compressed file into volumes at the time of creation. Note: ALL volumes must be available at the time of extraction to work.
• Archiving options: These control how WinRAR creates the actual archive. Usually settings should be:
- DO NOT check Delete Files after archiving unless the files or folders should be eliminated after WinRAR compresses them.
- Create SFX File: This option tells WinRAR to create a SelFeXtracting [.exe] file. A SFX is a compressed file joined with an executable which extracts the archive with no external software making it ideal for distribution to users without WinRAR installed. SFX archives have an .exe extension.
- Create Solid Archive: A solid archive is a RAR archive packed with a special compression method which treats files as a continuous data stream. Solid archives are only supported by the RAR format, but often increase compression.
- Put an authenticity verification: This tells WinRAR to store information such as creator, last update time, and archive name in the compressed file.
- Put a recovery record: The RAR compression format supports redundant information called a recovery record. Compressed files can be repaired in cases of physical data damage like floppy disk failure or data losses of other kinds if this option is set at the time of creation.
- Test the archived files: This tells WinRAR to test after creating the compressed file to ensure no problems occurred during compression.
- Lock the archive: This determines whether files can be added or updated to the compressed file later – locking the archive means they cannot.
Once these options are set press OK and sit back while WinRAR works its magic. How long WinRAR takes depends on how fast the computer is, how many other programs are in use, and how big the information being compressed is.
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