Overview

Have you ever used the Internet, America Online, or another online service? If so, you've probably encountered Zip files. Are you a Windows user? If so, WinZip® is the way to handle these archived files.

WinZip brings the convenience of Windows to the use of Zip files and other compression formats.

WinZip features include:

• Seamless Windows integration: WinZip includes tight integration with My Computer and Windows Explorer. Drag and drop to or from Explorer, or zip and unzip without leaving Explorer.
• Internet support: WinZip features built-in support for the popular Internet file formats TAR, gzip, UUencode, XXencode, BinHex, and MIME. In addition, ARJ, LZH, and ARC files are supported via external programs. You can use WinZip to access almost all the compressed and encoded files you download from the Internet.
• Automatic installation of most software distributed in Zip files: If a Zip file contains a "setup" or "install" program, WinZip's Install feature will unzip the files, run the installation program, and clean up temporary files.
• The WinZip Wizard: This optional feature uses the standard and familiar "wizard" interface to simplify the process of zipping, unzipping, and installing software distributed in Zip files. The WinZip Wizard is ideal for the rapidly growing number of PC users who are getting started with Zip files and for those who use Zip files only infrequently. When these users gain confidence or want to use more advanced zipping features, the full WinZip Classic interface is just a click away.
• Favorite Zip Folders: WinZip lets you organize Zip files into one convenient list that is sorted by date, making it easier to locate all Zip files, regardless of where they came from or where they are stored. Unlike the standard Open Archive dialog box, the Favorite Zip Folders dialog box treats the contents of multiple folders as though they were one folder. A Search facility will find any Zip files lost on your hard disk.
• Large file support: WinZip supports the 64-bit Zip file format, which eliminates all practical restrictions on the size of Zip files and on the number and size of compressed files within a Zip file. Zip file capacity is limited only by your system's resources.
• Advanced encryption: WinZip's advanced 128- and 256-bit AES encryption helps you prevent unauthorized disclosure of the contents of your sensitive documents.
• Create files that unzip themselves: WinZip Self-Extractor Personal Edition is included with WinZip. Self-extracting files are ideal for sending compressed files to others who may not own or know how to use file compression software.
• Zip and E-Mail: WinZip lets you zip files or folders and e-mail them with just a few clicks from Windows Explorer or My Computer. In addition, the freely downloadable WinZip E-Mail Attachment Add-On for Outlook lets you zip your Outlook e-mail attachments quickly and easily, right from Outlook 2000 and Outlook 2002.
• Virus Scanner Support: WinZip can be configured to work with most virus scanners.

WinZip is extremely easy to use! To open an archive simply double click on an archive listed in My Computer or Windows Explorer, drag and drop an archive onto WinZip, or use the standard Open dialog box. The main WinZip window features a list with the names, sizes, and date/time stamps of all files in the open archive. This list can be scrolled and sorted on any field. A configurable tool bar provides fast access to commonly used actions. Extensive context sensitive help is always available.

Double clicking on a file in the main WinZip window has the same effect as double clicking in My Computer or Windows Explorer. First, the file is extracted from the archive. Then, if the file is executable, it is run. Otherwise, the file is opened by the appropriate application (for example, WordPad for *.WRI files) based on standard Windows associations.

The Windows Drag and Drop interface is fully supported. You can drag and drop files from WinZip to other applications. WinZip will extract the files before dropping them on the target application. The target application will treat the files as if they had been dropped from My Computer or Windows Explorer. You can also drop archives on WinZip to open them, or drop files on WinZip to add them to the open archive.