Windows XP has a compression feature built-in so you no longer need to use a third party utility to compress your folders and files. If you want to compress an existing folder or file, simply right click the appropriate one, point to Send to, and click Compressed (zipped) folder.

Normally people compress their folders and files after they are created. However, you can create an empty zipped folder to store future files. You can create a new compressed folder using the following steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer.

2. From the File menu, point to New and click Compressed (zipped) folder.
3. Type in a name for the folder that includes the ‘zip’ extension.
4. Press Enter.

You can easily add your files to the existing compressed folder. Just double click the compressed folder you just created. Now drag and drop the appropriate files into the folder. Keep in mind that this does not move them into the compressed folder, but copies them. If you want to actually move the files, hold down the Shift key as you drop them into the folder.