Compression is a computer process whose purpose is to substantially reduce the space occupied by a file or a set of files. It is a task with which we are already familiar by now and that we usually carry out in our daily lives. But, if until now you have not been in need of doing it and Now you need to know how to compress a file with WinRar, you have come to the right place. Here we are going to tell you everything you need to know about it and the different ways that the program makes available to make compression quick and easy.
WinRar is an application that has managed to establish itself in user preferences due to its ease of use, even without being completely free. In addition, it provides excellent results.
How to compress a file with WinRar?
WinRar is a file compression oriented application in the Windows environment that managed to become the norm when it came to reducing the size of one or a group of files.. This has been based on a combination of great compression results and seamless integration with the operating system. In this way, the application offers a couple of alternatives when carrying out the task and we are going to review what they are.
Compress from the WinRar interface
If you are looking for how to compress with WinRar, the main process to achieve it is found by opening the application. The work area of its interface is a file explorer and the idea is to select from there the folder or file that we want to compress. By default, WinRar will show the documents folder, however, next to the address bar is the button to go up through the directory chain and in this way, access other libraries.
Next, select the folder to compress and then click on the button «Add«. This will display a popup window with options aimed at configuring the compression process. From there, you will be able to choose whether to generate a Rar or Zip file, the compression method, and also set a password. When you are satisfied, click on the button «Accept» and then compression will begin. The time this task takes depends on the resources of your team and the size of the data involved.
Compress from context menu
Although the steps that we mentioned before are really simple, it is worth noting that we can make it much simpler still. WinRar is an application that has, among its strengths, fantastic integration with the operating system and this greatly facilitates the task of compressing. In that sense, we have the possibility of applying compression to any file or folder from Windows Explorer.
To do this, all you have to do is select the file in question and then right-click on it. Within the context menu options, you will see several WinRar related options and one of them is “Add to file…«. Click on it and the compression task configuration window will be displayed where you will only have to click on "OK" to start the process.
Without a doubt, this is the fastest and easiest alternative to compress files, because it saves us the work of running WinRar and facing its file explorer. The result is exactly the same and we have the option within reach of a couple of clicks in the contextual menu. Opening the WinRar interface is something that we could reserve for those tasks in which we need functions found in its toolbar.
Why do I need to compress my files?
How to compress with WinRar is a process that all of us as computer users should be clear about, due to the advantages it offers in certain scenarios. We have a clear example when it comes to saving space on the hard drive, where we have the possibility of compressing those directories that we do not use frequently, but that we cannot delete. In this way, we can keep them, making them take up less storage space, without the need to get rid of them. Also, the change in size is really significant, so it's worth doing.
On the other hand, compressing files can solve the problem of sending any item through email. Gmail supports up to 25Gb per file, so if you have a heavier one, it will be enough to compress it so that it passes through the servers without problems. In this way, we can appreciate the enormous utility of knowing this process and doing it correctly. The idea is to multiply the number of elements that we can store, reducing the size of each one, without losing quality and with a totally reversible process.
On the other hand, we must highlight the fact that WinRar has very interesting advanced options that will allow you to set passwords to protect the content of the file, to divide a very large file into several compressed files. Without a doubt, it is a tool that is worth having on our computers and getting to know in depth.