Using WinZip to Email Archives

WinZip^® includes features that make it easy to email compressed files to others:

The Zip and Email feature provides "one click" compression and mailing of files and folders from My Computer or Windows File Explorer. It quickly compresses selected files and folders into a temporary Zip file, creates an email message, and attaches the Zip file to the message. If any of the selected files are images, you will be presented with the WinZip - Zip and Email dialog which will allow you to resize the images prior to zipping; this resize operation will not affect the original files but only the files contained in the new Zip file. You can then address the message, add any desired text, and send the email as you usually would. WinZip automatically deletes the temporary Zip file when it is no longer needed.
- To use this feature, simply select the desired files or folders in My Computer or Windows File Explorer, right click the selection, and choose Zip and Email filename from the WinZip submenu. The filename shows the name that WinZip will use for the Zip file it creates.
The Zip and Email Plus feature is similar to Zip and Email but, in addition to allowing you to resize your selected image files, it also allows you to specify the name of the Zip file, select the compression type, and add encryption, if desired.
- To use this feature, simply select the desired files or folders in My Computer or Windows File Explorer, right click on the selection, and choose Zip and Email Plus from the WinZip submenu.
- Note: if you find that you are using either Zip and Email or Zip and Email Plus all the time, you can remove the one you don't use from the context menu using the Explorer tab of the WinZip Settings dialog.
You can email the currently open WinZip file:
- Click the Email button in the Actions pane. You can send the WinZip file as an attachment, or you can upload it to the cloud and send a link.
You can email selected items from the currently open WinZip file by selecting one or more items from the archive, and then
- In the Actions pane you will see Email plus additional options for sharing.
- Using the Zip and Email Options dialog, you can select the options to be used when creating the new Zip file that will be attached to your email. WinZip will then create a new Zip file containing the selected items only, create a new email message, and attach the new Zip file to it. You can then address the message, add any desired text, and send the email as you usually would.

Email Support

When available, the WinZip email features use a protocol called Simple MAPI to "talk" to your email program just like the Windows "Send To Mail Recipient" feature does. MAPI, which is provided by your email software and not by Windows itself, allows Windows and application programs to instruct your email program to create new mail messages, add attachments, etc. To use your email program, WinZip's email features require that you have a MAPI-compatible email program installed and correctly configured (just as the Windows Send to Mail Recipient feature does).
Examples of MAPI-compatible email programs are Outlook, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, and Mozilla Thunderbird.
WinZip supports Web Mail, such as Yahoo! Mail, GMail, Hot Mail, and outlook.com mail. Web Mail does not support Simple MAPI. Instead, WinZip provides built-in mail software so you can use Web Mail without starting your browser, navigating to the web mail page, logging in, creating the message, uploading and attaching files, and sending the message. During installation, if MAPI is not available, WinZip will configure itself to use its built-in mail software.
The first time you use one of WinZip's email features, WinZip will prompt you to provide your email account information. This information normally consists of your name, your email address, your email logon id and your email logon password. If WinZip detects that your email address is for one of the Web Mail services WinZip supports, you are done. If you use a service that is not supported by WinZip, you will need to provide service information as well.
In the Email panel of the WinZip Options window, you can define accounts for multiple services or the same service as well as define new services (for your company based web-mail as an example).

Compressing attachments from within your email program

There is another technique you can use to compress attachments while composing messages in your email program. This technique does not require that your email program support the MAPI interface that WinZip uses for the above features; it works with most email programs that use the standard Windows Open File dialog box to attach files. Here is the technique:

In your email program, open the window you normally use to attach files to your email messages.
Using the standard Open File window, locate the file or folder you wish to attach.
Position the mouse pointer over the file or folder name in the window, then click the right mouse button and choose Add to filename from the WinZip submenu (note: the filename shown in the menu entry will be the name of the file you selected). This will create a Zip file called "filename.zip" or "filename.zipx".
Still in the Open File window, click once on "filename.zip" or "filename.zipx" (the Zip file created in the previous step). This file will normally be at the end of the current directory listing.
Click the appropriate button to attach the Zip file (this is typically labeled Open, Attach, or Insert).

Note: this technique has been tested with current versions of the most popular email programs (such as Outlook). We can't promise that it will work with all email programs or with future versions of the programs we have tested.