Outlines how to zip a file on a Mac, compress multiple files, extract a zip file and password protect your files to keep them safe.
Moreover, the zip file will be automatically called Archive.zip and will be stored in the same folder as the files you were compressing. If you want to unzip your files, the process is, all the same, just reversed. You simply right-click the zip archive, choose 'Open with' and then select Archive Utility. Zip -r archivename.zip foldertocompress. Unzip archivename.zip. If you want to make a zip without those invisible Mac resource files such as 'MACOSX' or '.Filename' and.ds store files, use the '-X' option in the command so: zip -r -X archivename.zip foldertocompress TAR.GZ – Cross Platform.
How to make a complete backup of your mac. Someone once said you can never be too rich or too thin; You can also add that you can never have too much space on your computer. One way to save space on your Apple Mac is to compress (or 'zip') files and folders so that they take up less space. This is also a good idea if you want to send them to someone else. Dice gambling street.
In this article, we're going to show you how to zip a file for Mac, zip multiple files, unzip a file on your Mac, and how to password protect the resulting ZIP or archive file so that only the intended recipient can view it.
How to zip a file on Mac
Converting a traditional file (whether it's an image, video, music file, document, or other type) or folder to a compressed zip file is very easy. These 2 simple steps will outline how to create a zip file on Mac:
- Right-click (or Ctrl + click) the file or folder and choose Compress [Name].
- Wait a moment (very large files or folders with many files may take a while) and a new ZIP file will appear in the same location as the original file (unless you've chosen a different destination, see below ). You will hear the system beep to indicate that the process is complete.
That's all it takes for how to zip a file Mac style! This zip file can now be emailed to a friend or simply saved until needed. You can delete the original file if you want. However, you cannot view or use the compressed file in its current form. You have to unzip it first.
How to zip a folder on Mac
Zipping a folder on a Mac
- Right-click the folder name
- Choose Compress XY . (The name of the folder you selected is in place of XY ).
- Depending on the size of the folder, it can then take a while for the files in the folder to be reduced in size and packed together.
- When the compression is finished, a file appears whose name consists of the folder name and an appended .zip . A Data folder would then be Data.zip .
How to zip multiple files
To compress multiple files and / or folders, create a new folder (Shift + Cmd + N) in the Finder or on the desktop and name it whatever you want the Zip to be called. Drag the files you want into the zip file and drop them there. Hold down the Alt key before releasing the mouse button so that the files are copied there. Then hold down the Ctrl key and click on the folder by selecting Compress from the menu. After zipping the created folder, drag it to the trash.
Windows users who decompress their ZIP file will also see ‘dot files' – files and folders whose filenames are preceded by periods or sometimes underscores (e.g., ‘.DS_Store' or ‘_MACOSX'). These are Mac system files and can be ignored. You can use a free app like FolderWasher to remove dot files before creating the zip.
How to save zip files anywhere else
You can change the destination of your compressed files by opening the application that is doing the compression. It's called the Archive Utility and can be found using a Spotlight search.
Open the Archive Utility, then click the Archive Utility drop-down menu at the top of the screen and select Settings. Click the Save Archive menu, select In, and choose a new destination. (By default, the zipped file is saved in the same location as the original file.)
How to unzip a file on Mac
This is even easier than the last bit. All you have to do for how to open a zip file on Mac is double click on a zip file and it will open up. When you use that step for how to open a zip file in Mac, the zip file is still in its original location, but an unzipped copy will appear next to it.
If you have now mastered how to unzip a file in Mac but still need to unzip an archive that is not a zip file, for example a .rar file, use The Unarchiver. This is free from the App Store and works just like the built-in zip tool. Just double-click the archive file to automatically extract the files and folders to the same location.
Install the free BetterZip to preview the contents of archives with macOS Quick View Generator.
Automatically extract 'safe' files from zipped ones
Some web browsers automatically unzip files that they believe are safe when you download them (with Safari, safe files include image files such as JPEG, PDFs, and movies). This may be something that you would rather not be.
Once you're in Safari, go to the Safari drop-down menu, then Preferences and select the General tab. Then check or uncheck the 'Open safe files after downloading' option.
How to password protect zip files
Finally a challenge! This is a little more difficult – but it's worth it if you're sending a confidential file or document through an unsecured messaging system. We can encrypt the zip file so anyone – on Mac or PC – needs to enter the password to use or view the file or folder.
In fact, the process really isn't scary: you just have to spend a few moments in the Terminal. The ‘-e' command tells Terminal to encrypt the zip file. Download alexa app for mac computer.
Open Terminal (in Applications> Utilities or search for Spotlight) and type in the following. (Enter Enter after each line.)
We specify that the file to be compressed is called macworld.jpg and is located on the desktop. However, you need to change the relevant bits to make them work for you. If it is a folder rather than a file we need to use some different code, see the section on folders below .
cd desktop
Does mac have a video editor. zip -e macworld.zip macworld.jpg
At this point you will be prompted for a password. When you type this, nothing seems to appear, but it's designed that way. Don't worry – just hit Enter when you're done, then repeat when prompted to confirm the password.
Each password you enter must be entered again in order to unzip the zip file.
Let's see this code again, but this time we're going to use square brackets to indicate the bits that you should change. Do not include the square brackets!
cd [location of the file]
zip -e [new_filename] .zip [old_filename]. [File type extension]
Note that the ZIP file can have the same filename as the original (except with a .zip extension) or a different filename.
Warning: spaces in file or folder names!
If at all possible, we recommend that you rename the file or folder you are compressing so that there are no spaces in the name as this will work poorly when using Terminal. (You can replace the spaces with underscores, which looks pretty neat.) If you absolutely must include spaces, you'll need to modify your code so that each space is preceded by a leading character.
So let's say we changed the name of our original file from ‘macworld.jpg' to ‘mac world.jpg'
zip -e macworld.zip macworld.jpg
we would type
zip -e mac world.zip mac world.jpg
How To Zip A File On Mac
What if it is a folder and not a file?
Instead of a file extension, this time you would use the ‘-er' command instead of ‘-e'. This tells Terminal to compress the contents of the folder.
How To Zip A File On Macbook Pro
If we imagine we are compressing a folder called macworld, we would type:
zip -er macworld.zip macworld
How to open a password protected zip file
You (or the recipient of your encrypted ZIP file) don't have to worry about Terminal – just double-click the ZIP file as usual and enter the password when prompted. It is unzipped in the normal way.
Alternative zipping tools
Most Mac users have enjoyed zipping for years, but a few people are still using StuffIt, which is still a powerful application that the built-in Mac zip tool is not capable of, e.g. Farrago 1 2 78. B. to create a larger selection of archive formats.
Best video poker. Simply drag and drop the file or folder onto the Zip tile in the StuffIt interface. The archive is created immediately.
