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Split Zip file compatibility information

The file format used by WinZip® to create split Zip files is an extension to the Zip 2.0 standard. As a result, some Zip utility programs may not be able to open split Zip files (.zip or .zipx).

However, the only differences between split Zip files and spanned Zip files, which are supported by most Zip products, are the names and the locations of the parts of the file:

  • Each part of a split Zip file has a different extension (name.z01, name.z02, etc., and name.zip for the last part or name.zx01, name.zx02, etc., and name.zipx for the last part). All parts of a spanned Zip file have the same name (name.zip or name.zipx).
  • The parts of a split Zip file can all be located in the same folder; the parts of a spanned Zip file must reside on separate diskettes (because they all have the same name).

Internally, the parts of split Zip files and spanned Zip files are identical. Therefore, you can convert from one format to another if necessary by simply copying and renaming the parts as follows:

To convert a split Zip file to a spanned Zip file

  1. Copy each part of the split Zip file to a separate diskette.
  2. After copying each part, change the filename extension to .zip or .zipx to match the file extension of the last part of the split Zip file. For example, January.zx01 becomes January.zipx, January.zx02 becomes January.zipx, etc., if the last part of the split Zip file is named January.zipx.

To convert a spanned Zip file to a split Zip file

  1. Copy each part of the spanned Zip file, in order, from diskettes to a single folder. You must know the correct order of the diskettes in order to do this.
  2. As you copy each part, change the .zip or .zipx extension to .zn or .zxn, respectively, where n is a sequence number beginning with 01 for the first part. That is, the first part of the spanned Zip file January.zipx becomes January.zx01; the second part becomes January.zx02, etc. If there are more than 99 parts, just continue the numbering with .ZX100 and so on. Don't change the extension of the last part--it remains January.zipx.