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Sharing Files with WinZip

WinZip® make it easy to share your files with others. You can share files using email, social media, instant messaging, or Windows Charms.

NOTE: In addition to the sharing techniques described here, you can share files directly from Windows Explorer using WinZip SafeShare.

Exactly how sharing works depends on which WinZip pane is active (Files or Zip), what is selected, and the size of the files being shared.

Sharing files

Zip pane: To share some or all of the files from the open Zip file, check the file(s) you want to share and click Share in the File menu.  Then select the method to use for sharing (Send with Email, Post to Social Media, Post to Instant Message, Use Windows Charms, or Copy a Sharing Link).

  • If any files are checked, WinZip will ask whether you wish to share the entire Zip or just the selected files.
  • Note that checking none of the files indicates the entire Zip file will be shared as-is.
  • Otherwise, WinZip will create a new Zip file containing only the files you've chosen; in this case, WinZip will show a version of the Add/Move files dialog that allows you to specify the Zip file name, the Zip file type, and whether you want to encrypt the file; select any conversions you want to perform while adding files to the new Zip file; and schedule the file for automatic deletion.


Files pane: To share files from the Files pane, check the file(s) you want to share and click Share in the File menu.

  • If you select a single file, it will be shared as-is, i.e., not zipped. If you would like to share the file zipped, right-click it in the Files pane and click Zip and Share (WinZip Express).


After selecting the files you want to share, choose a sharing method from the Share submenu:

Send with Email

  • The Email tab of the WinZip Settings dialog determines which program is used to send the email.
    • If Use WinZip's emailer is checked, WinZip will use its built-in email support to send the email.
    • If Use my email program is checked, WinZip will use your default email program (Outlook, etc.) to send the email.
  • The Email tab also determines, along with the file size, whether the file is sent as an attachment or as a cloud link.
    • If the file size is less than the size specified by Send files using cloud link if file is larger than ..., it will be send as an attachment.
    • If it is equal to or greater than the specified size, the file will be uploaded to a cloud service, and a link to the file will be included in the email message body.
    • If you are using WinZip's built-in email support, you can override the automatically selected option when composing the email--just click the button labeled either Attached or Linked to switch how you want to send the file.

Post to Social Media

  • In the Share using Social Media dialog, specify a message to be used in the post, choose a social media provider (Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn), and click OK. For LinkedIn, you can chose whether the post is shared with everyone or only your LinkedIn connections.
  • The file will be stored in the cloud, and the post will include a link to the file in the cloud.
  • Completing the post may require some additional choices supplied by the social media provider. These will typically be shown in your web browser.

Post to Instant Messaging

  • In the Share using Instant Messaging dialog, specify a message to be used in the post, choose an instant messaging service, select the contacts to whom you want to send the message, and click OK.
  • The file will be stored in the cloud, and the post will include a link to the file in the cloud.
  • Completing the post may require some additional choices supplied by the instant messaging service. These will typically be shown in your web browser.

Use Windows Charms

  • WinZip will upload the file to a cloud service and then display the Windows Charms dialog.
  • Choose a destination in the Windows Charms dialog to complete the operation.

Copy a Sharing Link

  • WinZip will upload the file to a cloud service and then place a link to the file in the clipboard.
  • You can then copy the link into an email message or other document.


Scheduling files for automatic deletion

Often when you have shared files, especially when they are shared via a cloud service, it is convenient to have them automatically deleted when they are no longer needed. WinZip can help with this.

In the Share submenu:

  • Click Expire files to enable automatic scheduled deletion for the files you share (note that the item will be checked if scheduled deletion is already enabled). In the resulting dialog:
    • Specify the number of days after sharing the files should be deleted.
    • Check Use wipe to delete files if you want the shared files wiped after they have been deleted. Note that this option does not affect files in the cloud.
    • Click OK to enable scheduled deletions.
  • When sceduled deletion has been enabled, you can use Expiration period to updated your options.
  • Manage File Expirations shows a dialog that lists all pending deletions. Using the dialog, you can:
    • Remove files from the list of pending deletions.
    • Change the expiration date.
    • Change the other deletion options (wipe file, delete empty folder).