What is WinZip? - Definition from WhatIs.com

WinZip is a Windows program that lets you archive and compress files so that you can store or distribute them more efficiently. WinZip is a more capable and easier-to-use Windows equivalent of two earlier programs commonly used in the DOS operating system, PKZIP and PKUNZIP. WinZip has a simple drag-and-drop interface that allows you to view individual files in a zip file without unzipping the file. WinZip will also launch installation programs from a zip file and automatically clean up after the installation.

When creating a zip file (or archive), you can choose from five levels of compression, including "None," for each added file. With a disk-spanning add-on, you can also create a zip file that will span multiple diskettes.

WinZip also supports other popular Internet file formats, including tar, gzip, Unix compress, Uuencode, BinHex, and MIME. ARJ, LZH, and ARC files are supported through other programs. WinZip provides an interface to most virus scanner programs and is available in 16-bit and 32-bit versions.

This was last updated in April 2005
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