Compression and archive format that stores one or more files into a single file, usually with a .zip file extension.
ZIP is a compression and archive format that stores one or more files into a single file, usually with a .zip file extension.
It originally supported a simple symmetric password encryption system: file contents are encrypted, but file names are not. It is known to be seriously flawed, and should not be relied for private and important information. Updates to the ZIP specification has introduced AES, RC2/4 and DES encryption methods.
Each file is compressed separately, which gives the advantage or being able to extract arbitrary files without needing to decompress the entire archive.
Popular questions
- Re-assembling a zip file that was emailed in several parts
- Zipping a file from the command prompt using Window's built-in archiving
