If you have a lot of old documents and files stored on your computer, compress them into an archive to save storage space. Mac OS X allows you to compress files directly from the system. Alternatively, you can also download a third party software, which is more effective for this purpose. Follow the guide below to compress all your old files.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Using Finder
Step 1. Open Finder
You can open the Finder by clicking the Finder icon in the Dock. The shape is like a blue square-shaped face. Once the Finder opens, navigate to the file you want to compress.
To easily compress files from multiple locations in one.zip file, first create a new directory. Copy all the files you want to compress into this directory
Step 2. Select the file
You can select individual files from a list by holding down the Command key and clicking on the file. Once all the files are selected, right-click on one of them. If your mouse has only one key, hold down Ctrl and click the.
To compress a directory containing multiple files, right-click the directory
Step 3. Compress the file
Select Compress from the right-click menu. Wait until the process is complete. Depending on the number of files you want to compress, this process could take a few minutes. The file name will be the same as the file or directory you selected to compress.
- Compressing multiple files or directories will create a new file named Archive.zip.
- The compressed file size will be about 10% smaller than the original. This varies depending on the type of file being compressed.
Method 2 of 4: Using Third Party Programs
Step 1. Find a compression program
There is a large selection of compression programs on the internet, both free and paid. Some compression formats such as.rar require proprietary software to create the archive. Other compression formats such as.zip can be created with almost any compression program.
The proprietary compression method can compress smaller files than the standard.zip compression that Mac OS X provides
Step 2. Add files
After installing and opening the compression program, add the files and directories you want to compress. How to compress varies from program to program, but is usually done by simply dragging and dropping files into the compression window.
Step 3. Secure the files
Many compression formats allow you to add passwords to compressed files. Check the Security section, or click the File menu and select Add Password or Encrypt.
Method 3 of 4: Compressing One File Using Terminal
Step 1. Open Terminal
Step 2. Type cd, press space, and drag the directory you want to place the zip file into
Press Return.
Step 3. Type zip and drag the file or directory you want to compress
Press Return.
Method 4 of 4: Compressing Multiple Files Using Terminal
Step 1. Open Terminal
Step 2. Type cd, press space, and drag the directory you want to place the zip file into
Press Return.
Step 3. Type mkdir zip
Press Return.
Step 4. Type cp file1 zip, replace file1 with the file name you want, including the file extension
Press Return. Repeat for each file.
If the file name contains spaces, type it like this: cp file\ 1 zip. Make sure to use backslashes, not regular slashes
Step 5. Once done, type ls zip and press Return
Check that every file you want to compress is there.
