

Now enter a name for your archive file – make sure there aren't any spaces in the archives name, or if there are, add an underscore "_" in front of it.

After selecting the files, click OK, and you will see that this information has been added to the New Self-Extracting Archive dialogue box, which means you can now create your self-extracting zip file by clicking on OK at this point. You can also add folders to create subfolders for your downloaded files to be placed into as well. To create a self-extracting zip file that includes already existing files, click on 'Browse' and select the files you want to be included in your self-extracting zipped file.

If you create a new archive, it's important to note that this will create a blank folder for all of your downloaded files to be placed into when extracted by the user. A New Self-Extracting Archive dialogue box will open up, leaving you with two options: create a new archive or create an archive using an existing file as your source. Click on the Create button in the toolbar and choose Self-Extracting Archive from the dropdown list Download WinZip from the official WinZip website, then open WinZ To create a self-extracting zip file using WinZip, there are just a few steps you need to follow: How to create a self-extracting file using WinZip When you run the executable program, it unpacks all of the other files in the folder automatically into their new location - saving you time and effort from having to uncompress each one. The zip file contents will contain everything it needs to unpack itself and create subfolders for all downloaded files. What is a self-extracting zip file?Ī is a type of compressed file that includes additional executable Windows program (.exe) code so that you can extract the contents without needing to use an external program or application. This article will cover the basics of creating a self-extracting zip file with a program like WinZip that can be uploaded and extracted automatically on your web server. Once the self-extracting zip file is downloaded, the email client automatically extracts it and saves only the files relevant to what they needed. But you don't want to force them to download many extras that they may not need. These files are often used when distributing software or other digital content through websites and email attachments.įor instance, when sending an email newsletter, you want to include a file for your users to download. Self-extracting zip files is a convenient way to send users the exact file they need without downloading an installer.
