This article describes what ZIP files are and why they are used in certain situations. We will also look at how to open one to view its contents, and how to convert the files inside it to another format, or convert the ZIP itself to another archive format such as TAR.GZ or RAR.

A file with the ZIP file extension is a ZIP compressed file and is the most common archive format you will encounter. Like other archive file formats, it is simply a collection of one or more files and/or folders, but is compressed into a single file for easy transportation and compression.

The most common use of ZIP files is for software downloads. Zipping a software program saves storage space on the server, reduces the time it takes to download it to your computer, and keeps hundreds or thousands of files neatly organized into a single file.

Another example is when downloading or sharing dozens of photos. Instead of sending each image individually via email or saving each image one at a time from a website, the sender can put the files in a ZIP archive so that only one file needs to be transferred.