When you wish to compress the size of a file or folder on your Windows PC, you usually zip it up, creating a ZIP file. You unzip it to decompress it when you want to use it again. What if we told you that in Windows 11, you could compress your data files to conserve space and use them without having to decompress them? This is possible with Windows 11’s file compressing capability. But what exactly is it, and how can you make it happen? Let’s have a look.
File compression is a function of Windows’ NTFS file system that reduces the size of a file by removing the bulk of redundant data, such as repetitive characters in a text file. And the best part is that the compression technique works without causing vital data to be lost. Moreover, Windows 11 compresses data, so the files are still seen as uncompressed by the apps you’ve installed. This implies that the apps can access and operate with information in the files without decompressing them.
How Do You Enable File Compression In Windows 11?
Turn On The Windows 11 File Compression On A Folder?
Here are the steps to compress a folder in Windows 11:
Step 1: In File Explorer, right-click a folder and choose Properties from the context menu.
Step 2: A new window will open where you have to click the Advanced button in the General tab.
Step 3: Locate the Compress or Encrypt attributes area in the box and place a checkbox next to Compress contents to save disk space.
Step 4: Click on OK to exit this box.
Step 5: You will be asked to confirm that you wish to compress the folder in a dialogue window. By default, Windows chooses the radial button for Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files. Because that is the option we desire, simply click OK.
Turn On The Windows 11 File Compression On The Entire Drive?
Instead of compressing individual files and directories, you can shrink the entire hard drive. To do so, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: In This PC, right-click a drive and choose Properties from the context menu.
Step 2: Check the box for Compress this drive under the General tab to preserve disk space.
Step 3: Click the OK button.
Step 4: Another dialogue box will appear, asking you to verify your action. By default, the option to compress the drive and all of its data is selected, and you should just click OK.
Step 5: The entire drive will be compressed, including all files, folders, and subfolders. Every file and folder you save to that hard drive will also be compressed.
Bonus Tip: Advanced System Optimizer
You can always enable the File Compression module in Windows 11 to save hard disk space. But there are other ways to save storage space like:
Remove Junk and Unwanted Files. Removing junk and temporary files from your PC is important to ensure that it runs faster and saves the hard disk space.
Optimize Disk. Another way of improving disk space utilization is to remove fragments scattered around your hard disk and place them together.
Explore The Disk. It is essential to know what files are stored on your disk and the only way to do that is to use a tool that will sort all the files into various categories. This way, you can identify and remove the old and redundant files.
Advanced System Optimizer is a multi-functional application for Windows PCs that incorporates a variety of computer maintenance modules. Advanced System Optimizer is a fantastic program designed just for this purpose. It has numerous modules that will check and delete any unnecessary files, fix minor registry issues, delete duplicate files, and update drivers.
The Final Word On How Do You Enable File Compression In Windows 11?
I hope the above Windows 11 File Compression methods prove useful in saving hard disk space. You can always use Advanced System Optimizer to optimize and maintain your computer. This will ensure that your PC delivers the optimal performance at all times.
Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Let us know of any queries or suggestions. We would love to get back to you with a solution. We regularly post tips, tricks, and answers to common technical issues.