What is File Compression?
File compression reduces the size of files by encoding data more efficiently. This makes files easier to store and faster to transfer.
Common Compression Formats
ZIP
The most widely used format. Supported natively by Windows and macOS.
- Pros: Universal support, good compression
- Cons: Not the best compression ratio
RAR
Popular format with better compression than ZIP.
- Pros: Better compression, recovery records
- Cons: Requires third-party software
7Z
Open-source format with excellent compression.
- Pros: Best compression ratio, free
- Cons: Less widely supported
TAR.GZ
Common on Linux/Unix systems.
- Pros: Preserves file permissions
- Cons: Less common on Windows
When to Compress Files
- Sending multiple files as one package
- Reducing file size for email attachments
- Archiving old files for storage
- Protecting files with passwords
Tips for Better Compression
- Text files compress very well
- Already compressed files (JPG, MP4) won't shrink much more
- Use solid compression for similar files
- Consider splitting large archives