A ZIP file is a "compressed" format file. A ZIP file is much smaller
than the size of the uncompressed file, greatly reducing the possibility that
your email server will reject our email due to the size of the attachment. ZIP
files can be managed with any one of a number of programs. Some are free to
download. Many users will already have a utility included with the software
on their pc.
Instructions for Windows XP (which comes with a built-in utility)
- Download/Save the zip file in the email to a location on your PC
- Double-click on the Zip file.
- It should expand automatically.
- A file or folder with the same name (without the Zip) should appear.
- Drag the contents of the Zip file to the desktop (or another location).
When you do this, you will be copying the information from the Zip file to
the computer. This will be your working copy of the data from the Zip file.
- Close the Zip file window. You may keep the Zip file or delete it.
Instructions for Windows Vista (built-in utility)
- Download/Save the zip file in the email to a location on your PC
- Double-click the file, and Vista will open it like it would a folder, showing
you the contents inside.
- Drag files from that window to any location you choose, just like it was
a normal folder.
- If you want all of the files, it may be quicker to extract them all at once.
To do this, just click the Extract all files button just above the file list.
You’ll be asked to choose a location to store the files (the default
is the same location that your current zipped file is).
Utilities for other versions of Windows OS (Freeware/Shareware)