WinZip is a program for zipping (AKA archiving or compressing) and unzipping files. One or more individual files can be saved as a single archive file with a .zip extension and the whole will be significantly smaller that the sum of the parts. Zipping files is very handy when sending files across the Internet-- the smaller the file size, the less time a file takes to travel.

Some of the zip files you may download will be "self-extracting." That is, double-clicking on the archive file (which usually will have a .exe extension) should cause it to automatically un-zip; the instructions for unzipping the archive are built in. Other zipped files (usually those with a .zip extension) will require the availability of an unzipping utility program such as WinZip.

WinZip offers a free "evaluation" version from its web site. Additional features (such as the one for creating self-extracting archives) are available for a charge.
 
 
 

To Download WinZip:
1. Use your browser to surf to http://www.winzip.com
2. On the WinZip home page, click on "Download 7.0 Evaluation Version"
3. This will take you to a page featuring several download sites. Pick whichever one you prefer.  Note: there is one clearly described link to a version for Windows 3.1. You may assume the other links for download are for Windows 95/98/NT.
4. In the Save As dialog window, note the file name (likely winzip70.exe) and the directory you will be saving it to.  (You may want to create a new directory to store the file.)
5. After the download, locate the file name in Windows Explorer and double-click on it.
6. The installation program will launch
7. The first setup box will appear. Click on the Setup button.
8. The setup program should offer to create a folder for Winzip.  It is suggested that you accept this and click OK.  If you feel the suggested folder name and location will be a problem (for instance, if you already have one and are using it for something else), you can type in a different name in the Install to: field before clicking OK.
9. In the first setup screen, click the Next button.
10. The license agreement screen will pop up. Read the agreement then click on the Yes button
11. On the screen, Select WinZip Classic (you can change later) and click on the Next button
12. On select Express setup and click on the Next button
13. The final setup screen and a window containing the WinZip icons (which may partially obscure the setup screen) should appear.  Click on the Finish button to complete the setup. This will also launch the program.
To launch WinZip at a later time, you should find an icon for it on your desktop.