Creating a ZIP file on a MacBook is a quick and easy process thanks to the built-in compression and archiving utility called “Archive Utility.” Whether you need to compress a single file or a whole folder, the process is the same. In this tutorial, we will show you how to create a ZIP file on a MacBook using both the graphical user interface and the terminal.
Method 1: Using the GUI (Graphical User Interface)
- Locate the files or folders that you want to compress and add to the ZIP file.
- Right-click (or control+click) on the selected files or folder, and select “Compress [number of items].”
- The Archive Utility will begin compressing the files and creating a new ZIP file with the same name as the original folder or file, but with the “.zip” file extension.
- Once the compression process is complete, the new ZIP file will be saved in the same location as the original files or folder.
Method 2: Using the Terminal
- Open the Terminal application on your MacBook.
- Use the “cd” command to navigate to the directory that contains the files or folders you want to compress.
- Type “zip -r archive_name.zip folder_name” and press Enter. This will create a new ZIP file called “archive_name.zip” that contains the files and subfolders from the “folder_name” directory.
Additional tip: If you want to password protect your zip file, You can use the -e flag in terminal, for example: “zip -er archive_name.zip folder_name” this will prompt you to set a password for the archive.
That’s it! You’ve now successfully created a ZIP file on your MacBook. Whether you need to compress files for easier storage or for sharing with others, this process is a quick and easy way to do it.
Note: If you’re compressing sensitive data, it is always recommended to encrypt the zip file with a password protection for added security.
Top of Form
