How to archive a program. How should files be archived? Working with the WinRar program. Download free archiver

Hello! I am with you again, Alexey Antropov. How often have you faced the need to back up data on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC? What programs have you used most for this?

So today we will talk a little about archiving files and find out when it is needed and how to archive files for sending by mail.

Archivers: what is it and what are they used for

The primary task of these programs was to compress electronic information for easy storage and transfer to other devices. Capacity hard disk at that time it did not differ in "size", a 10 GB screw was a "pink dream" of many PC users.

As removable media, we used floppy disks ("floppy disks") of funny capacity - up to 1.44 MB, so a few high-quality photos could completely take up the entire floppy space. Later, CDRs appeared, free space which often "ended" at the most inopportune moment. And such disks were not "read" on every machine. The Internet "squeezed" only 56 Kb / s and large files could be downloaded for several days.

The very essence of archiving, the basis of which is preliminary data compression, has pleased users all over the world. Until now, we use the services of archivers for storing electronic information, sending it to in electronic format or transfer to another device. With their help, for example, today it is possible to “pack” a folder with files into an archive without any problems big size and send it by email.

Archiver Is a special-purpose program whose functions include not only compression, but also convenient packaging of information data package.

It is not entirely correct to believe that the archiver compresses files, thereby reducing their size, since it has a special mode - "no compression". It performs file consolidation of information according to some principle in one archive. For example, if all the photos on your device are combined into one such file, then it will quickly fold onto a USB flash drive than all the same photos separately. In addition, in this mode, the size of the final file will still be somewhat reduced, albeit not very significantly.

Popular archiving software

The choice of the program depends on the goal that you set for it. Usually, in test versions of archivers, the manufacturer pays a lot of attention to the main quantitative parameters - speed and data compression ratio. He doesn't think too much about the usability of the program. For us, this question is very relevant. We, the users, care how the application interface will look, how simple the process of its management and its functions are available.

Modern PC users are offered a large selection of archivers. Some of them are absolutely free, some are paid, and there are also "conditionally paid" programs. In the latter case, you can use free of charge only for a certain period of time or with the restriction of some functions. In addition, they all differ in interface, basic package functions and other features for the user.

We will not dwell on the “top 10” of the most popular of them today, comparing their degree of “usefulness”. Let's assume that the average user does not rush to the "cutting edge" of modern software technologies in an effort to try out all the proposals. He is content with old, kind and well-tried programs.

Winrar - the program belongs to the shareware category of archivers, in practice the user works with the "eternal" trial version. Within 40 days after installation, the application can be used freely, after which, each time you start the program, a recommendation to purchase a license for its use will appear. Restraining irritation, once again close the window with a reminder and continue working, everything and business ...

In the main window of the running archiver, you can see:

1. Menu bar;
2. Archiving format selection panel;
3. File / folder compression method;
4. Panel with additional options;
5. Button for setting the password for the archive.

The archiver packs and compresses packets of files in Zip and Rar formats, opens almost all existing formats and in the ratio of compression ratio to speed takes one of the leading positions in the "top 10". Intuitive interface, maximum useful functions, the flexibility and reliability of the program is highly appreciated by users all over the world.

Download WinRar

Zip archives the most common. You can open them without help. third-party programs, since the windows system already has ready-made solutions. All you need is to double-click the archive icon with the left mouse button. If you already have an archiver, then of course you can open the archive using it.

7Zip Is the most popular archiver today, which packs data into archives of various formats and unpacks archives of even more formats. Most often, users use formats such as tar / gzip / 7z to compress files. The most remarkable thing is that nesting of one format in another is allowed. For example, you may encounter double-packed tar and gzip files, which is especially common on Unix systems.

This packer is characterized by a higher compression density than WinRAR, but it is significantly inferior to it in terms of speed. In the working window of the application, the user can see:

1. Options panel for the created archive;
2. Panel for forming multivolume archives with volume markup;
3. Ability to archive files / folders;
4. Set the file path type - relative, full, and absolute;
5. Additional functions panel;
6. Options panel for data encryption with a password for opening the archive, a choice of encryption method and the ability to encrypt file names.

Download 7zip

Some users archive data using programs such as:

• CAB - a program required to work with archive files in installation packages for "serious" applications - Windows or Microsoft Office etc.
• ARJ is one of many archivers that pack data into archive directories of its own type (with the ".arj" extension). True, it works in DOS mode and is in demand among users working in "dos". As an alternative to this DOS packer, the RAR archiver is more often used, which also functions in DOS mode.
• WinAce is a "multi-format" packer with a clear and convenient interface.

An important factor is that most modern archivers already "understand" files with long names. If for Windows packers this is more of a rule, then for DOS packers it is an exception. The data packed by them gets "strange" names when unpacking.

Most modern archivers are universal, quick programsworking with archives of various file systems and designs.

Online archivers

On the Internet today you can find interesting services archiving documents. They do not require preliminary installation of the program on the user's computer. Most of them don't even keep a copy of your zip file on the server. Photos, text, graphic and other data formats can be archived in a couple of clicks directly in the browser.

Take, for example, the zip archiver service located at this link. The service interface is so simple that even a small child can easily figure it out:

In the top panel, we see the name of the service. Below is a line with a warning that the files will be compressed in the browser and their copy will not go to the server. Even below, you can use the offer to select the desired files for compression. Next comes a line warning that the zip file will be generated and saved on the user's computer.

When selecting the files that you need to archive, you can hold down ctrl key , mark several files or "circle" them with the mouse cursor. If you have selected several files, you will be prompted to confirm their download. If only one file was selected, then the service will instantly create an archive.

In all cases, you get an archive. You, in turn, can check the result of archiving:

By default, the archive will be saved in the folder C: \\ Users \\ Username \\ Downloads.

The service does not archive the entire folder, you will have to open it and manually tell it what data you want to include in the archive. As you can see, the compression ratio is not very high, but the service is convenient if you urgently need to create a simple archive and, for example, send it by mail.

Create ZIP or RAR archive

Data archiving can be done using the context menu if at least one of the archivers is already installed on the computer. Select one or more files:

As you can see, we have selected 6 files. Now click right click one of them will call context menu:

As you can see, the functional options for working with files are displayed. Here you can see that two archivers are installed at once - "7zip" (1) and Winrar (2). We are interested in the last option. What can we do now with the selected files? We can:

• Create a new archive - in this case, the archiver window will open, where the user is free to: change the file name, select its format, specify the compression method, set additional parameters, create a password for the archive.
• Create a new archive;
• Add files to an existing archive.

As you can see, all these manipulations did not take us too much time, but unlike the online archiver, here we have the opportunity to set the necessary parameters for the archived data.

We send by email

There are several ways to send an archived document. For example, using standard windows "Send to recipient" in the context menu.

First, let's look at how to attach an archive for sending by mail from standard tool "Sending to addressee", and then from your mailbox.

1. Select the archive and right-click on it by selecting " Send message» → « Destination". ... The message sending window will open.
2. The second step is to enter the address (2) or use the address book (3). The archive that you want to send will already be present in the attachment (1). ...
3. The last step is to send email at the specified address.

Now let's look at sending from a mailbox. I will do this using Rambler mail. If you don't have a mailbox at all, then start one. There you are .

1. Log in to your mailbox and click the " Write a message». ;
2. In the window that opens, you can specify: the address (2), the subject of the letter (3), the text of the letter itself (4) with formatting options (5) and finally attach your archive (6).

That's all you need to do to create an archive file and mail it.

Conclusion

Well that's all. Today we talked a little about archivers - special programs for conveniently packing data. Now you can zip files yourself and send them by mail.

In this lesson you will learn about archiving programs, you can download one of these programs and install it on your computer, and also learn how to archive files and get them out of the archive.

What is an archiver

An archiver is such special program, with which you can archive files (folders with files) and extract them from the archive. In other words, this is the kind of program that helps you compress files as well as pack them for more convenient e-mailing.

Now we will check if there is such a program on your computer.

To do this, open any folder, for example, "Documents" or " Local disk D ". Right click on any file or any folder inside. A menu will open. If, among other things, there is an item "Add to archive" or item "7 Zip", then there is an archiver program on your computer.

And if you do not see anything similar, then most likely it is not on the computer. But it doesn't matter. Later we will download a free archiver and install it on your computer. But first, let's talk about what they are.

What are archivers

Like most programs, archivers are free and paid. That is, those that can be downloaded legally and completely free of charge from the Internet and installed on your computer, and those for which you have to pay money. If, when you checked whether such a program was installed on your computer, you saw items that begin with the words “Add to archive” (or “Add to”), then a paid archiver is installed on the computer. It is called WinRaR.

And if during the check you found item 7 Zip, then a free archiver is installed on your computer.

WinRaR is beautiful, very convenient program, but, alas, it is paid. If it is on your computer, then there are two options: either you do not need to pay for it and you can use it as much as you want, or after some time it will stop working. We will check this later. And if it turns out that you have an "inferior" version, then it makes sense to download and install the free 7 Zip archiver.

How to archive files / folders (WinRaR)

Now let's move on to practice. Now we will learn how to compress files and folders using the WinRaR program. If the 7 Zip program is installed on your computer, then feel free to go down below - there is information for you. If you have neither one nor the other, then even lower :)

As you may have guessed, we are interested in the items that start with the words "Add to archive" (Add to).

We need the second item in this series. I have it called "Add to archive" Folder.rar "" (Add to "Folder.rar"). You will have almost the same item, only the name of your file (folder) .rar will be written instead of "Folder.rar".

Now let's see how much the size has decreased. Click the right mouse button on the file or folder that you were compressing. Select Properties from the list.

Now right-click on the new archive file and select Properties.

But this is not always the case. For example, if you compress photos, videos or music in this way, the size may remain the same or change only slightly. To compress photos, music and videos, other programs are used, not archivers.

And now we will learn how to unzip, that is, get information from the archives.

Actually, you don't have to. Just try to open the archive file. Inside you will see what has been archived. And it opens quite calmly. But still, it's not very convenient. Therefore, it is still better to extract information from the archive.

Close the window and right-click on this file. We are interested in two similar items - "Extract to the current folder" (or "Extract Here") and "Extract to some name"(Or" Extract to some name»).

If, when you opened the archive, there was one file or one folder in the middle of the window, then click “Extract Here”. And if there were several files (folders), click "Extract to some name"(Extract to some name).

That's all. After you click on the desired item, the files or folders will be extracted, and the archive can be deleted.

Now let's find out which version of the WinRaR program you have - the one that will stop working over time, or the one that will work all the time.

To do this, we need to open any archive file. When it opens, in this window, click on the inscription "Help" or "Help" (at the top) and from the list select "About" (About ...).

A small window will appear. If it says “40 days trial copy”, it means that your program will stop working in the near future. It makes sense to download free program for archiving (read about this below).

And if this window says "Copy owner" or "Registered to", then the program will work - you don't have to worry, don't download anything. And further reading is also optional.

How to zip and unzip files / folders (7 Zip)

A free archiver is installed on your computer (it was said a little above how to determine this). It is called 7 Zip. And now we will learn how to use it.

First, let's learn how to archive files and folders. This is done very simply. Right-click on a file or folder with files. A list like this will appear.

We are interested in item 7 Zip. Hover over it. Will appear additional list... In this list, we are only interested in one item, in my example it is called “Add to“ Folder.zip ”” (Add to “Folder.zip”).

Instead of "Folder.zip" you will have a different name, but also with the ending .zip

Click on this item. Perhaps for a while such a window will appear. Wait for it to disappear.

Now look closely at the files and folders. Should appear new file... It will look something like this:

This is the file or folder that you archived.

Now let's see how much the size has decreased. Click the right mouse button on the file or folder that you were compressing. Select Properties from the list.

A new window will appear. Take note of the size and close it.

Now right-click on the new archive file and select "Properties".

Most likely, its size will be smaller than the size of the original file (folder).

But this is not always the case. For example, if you compress photos, videos or music in this way, the size may remain the same or change only slightly. To reduce it, completely different programs are used.

Now let's learn how to unzip, that is, get files and folders.

Actually, you don't have to. Try to just open the archive. Inside you will see the files and folders that have been added to it. And they open quite calmly. Still, it's not very convenient. Therefore, it is better to extract information from the archives. After all, at any time it will be possible to return it back, as we did above.

Before getting information from the archive file, open it.

An unusual window will open. Look in the middle of it - files or folders that are hidden in the archive are shown there. That is, if we unzip it, then these files (folders) will "come out" outside.

Close the window and right-click on this file. In the list, hover over the item "7 Zip". An additional list will appear. We are interested in two similar items - "Extract Here" and "Unpack to some name\\ "(Extract to some name\).

If, when you opened the archive, there was one file or one folder in the middle of the window, then click "Extract Here". And if there were several files (folders), then “Unpack into some name\\ "(Extract to some name\).

That's all. After you click on the desired item, the files or folders will be obtained, and the archive can be deleted.

I remind you once again that the 7 Zip program is free archiver.

Download free archiver

If your computer does not have an archiver, you can download and install it completely free of charge. This program is called 7 Zip. You can download it at this address:

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In order to add files or folders to the archive using WinRAR, you need to go to WinRAR to open the folder containing the files or folders you want to archive. Select what you need and click "Add".

If the settings when installing the program in Windows are set by default, then you can simply right-click on a file or folder and click "Add to archive" in the menu that opens.

In the window that appears, you can configure many additional settings... In the general tab, you can:

1. Set the name of the archive in the input field marked in the picture with the number 1.

2. Specify the folder for creating the archive by clicking the " Overview"and specifying the path to the folder.

3. Choose archive format RARor ZIP: "

• 3.1 RAR is a format that can only be opened with an archiving program (WinRAR, 7Zip, etc.). And, if you need to transfer this archive to someone via the Internet, media or something else, and you are not sure that the archiver program is not installed on the recipient's computer, then you should not do this. But the advantage of this format in WinRAR is that when archiving files are compressed more than when archiving, using the ZIP format. Also, you cannot create a continuous archive, lock it, add electronic signature and add recovery information. "
• 3.2 ZIP is a format that can be opened on any computer, because this format is standard and supported on almost any platform, which is an undoubted advantage when transferred to a user who may not have an archiving program on his computer. Minuses this format the opposite of the pluses of the RAR format.

4. Choose a compression method, and there are 6 of them ranging from "No compression" to "Maximum". I will explain about some of them. "

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• 4.1. "No compression" is useful when you just need to zip a large number of files. In order to simplify your life, namely, if you need to send by mail or copy to some medium (nevertheless, they probably know that copying 1 gigabyte with one file will be much faster than copying it, but only already 1000 files). And besides, archiving with this method will be done very quickly. "
• 4.2. "Fast" has the same advantages as "No Compression" and in addition will compress the information a little. "
• 4.3. This "usual" method is useful for those who want to clean up their computer and slightly increase the space on their machine, but at the same time have constant access to archived information. "
• 4.4. "Maximum" is convenient in that it compresses information as much as possible in order to save precious megabytes. Useful when you need to, for example, download a toy from a friend or the like. and there is not enough space on the disk or flash drive. Also useful for saving traffic on the Internet if you need to transfer some amount of information to someone. "
• 4.5 I did not write about "Fast" and "Good", because well, they are so fast and good)) but, if in fact, I did not write, tk. they are intermediate and uniqueness, I don't see them ... a little better than the one standing in front of him and a little worse than the next one.

5. Divide the archive into volumes, indicating the required size for yourself. This is very convenient if you need to transfer a large amount of information and there are several carriers of the same capacity. You just need to specify the size of one volume. The program indicates the sizes of volumes for standard media:

• "Floppy disk - 3.5" "(approximately 1.4 megabytes)
• "Mini Disk - Zip100 (approximately 95 megabytes)
• "CD-disk - CD700 (700 megabytes)
• "DVD disc - DVD + R (approximately 4.5 gigabytes)

6. Choose the update method.

7. Specify additional parameters for archiving "

• 7.1. "Delete files after packing". Immediately after the files you have selected are archived (packed), they will be deleted, but they will remain in the archive. This item can be selected if you want to archive rarely used information to save space on your hard disk. "
• 7.2. "Create SFX archive". By selecting this item, WinRAR will create an SFX archive. What is an SFX archive? An SFX archive is a self-extracting archive, the same archive as an ordinary one, only with a slight improvement: a special module is added to it, which adds a self-extracting function, i.e. "SFX-archive \u003d RAR-archive + SFX-module". When you open such an archive, you will be prompted to specify the folder for unzipping and actually confirm or cancel the extraction. It will look like this:

7.3 "Create continuous archive"

And after clicking "OK" the folder will start and after a certain period time will finish archiving.