Compressing Files

How do you compress files? I've tried "Add file to .zip/.rar" However, after it finishes no matter what compression option I choose the zipped file is exactly the same size as the unzipped file. How do I get it so that the zipped file is substantially smaller than the unzipped version?

It depends on the type of file. Data in videos, mp3s and pictures are already compressed to a certain extent. You can also change your perferred compression ratio in winzip, for example.

If you use winzip free, you cant compress files, you gotta have the paid or unlocked (i dont know what to call it) version if you want to compress files

Are there any free programs that allow you to compress files?

winrar

7-Zip is completely free and is much more versatile than any other program IMO - not to mention that the 7-Zip (.7z) format offers the best compression I've seen.

http://www.7-zip.org/

I was actually using winRar when I was trying to compress the file, I've also tried 7-zip before. Both of them just made the file into a .rar or .zip but the file size was still the same.

What kind of file are we talking about?

Make sure you set the "compression level" and such...and as noted, it works best on non-compressed files...

It was a .iso file and I was tyring "Best" for the compression level

ISOs are heavily compressed - in most cases they end up getting burned to CD anyway...

Actually, ISOs should compress a ton inside 7z/rar/zip's. A 500-600MB ISO usually gets cut 15-30%. I've even seen some 700+MB ISOs in 20MB RAR's and unrar completely and work perfectly.

Somethings just won't compress, other times, same exact filetypes will...I don't pretend to understand it.

ISOs are heavily compressed - in most cases they end up getting burned to CD anyway...

It started out as a 600MB ISO then I Unrar it and the uncompressed size was around 4GB. But I can't compress it back down to 600MB for storage purposes.

use uharc