7-ZipPurpose: Zipping (compressing) or unzipping files
Web site: http://www.7-zip.org/
Skill level required: Beginner
Recent versions of Windows include a basic program for zipping and unzipping files. It's easy enough to use, but it may not meet all of your zipping/unzipping needs. (I occasionally run into people who have never used the Windows zip program before. If you're completely new to this, you may find this page useful, although Microsoft doesn't include screenshots.) If you find a compressed file that Windows XP can't handle, or if you want to do something slightly advanced like creating a self-extracting archive, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Some people mistakenly think that WinZip is freeware, but it's actually shareware. It's supposed to be registered if you use it beyond the stated trial period. So for me, at least, WinZip is out.
I stumbled upon 7-Zip one day on Sourceforge.net, a web site that hosts open source projects. It's completely free, and it has features that the basic Windows zip program lacks. It's not the only free zip program, but it's a well-respected one that is pretty much guaranteed to always be free.
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