How to Compress and Extract Files

Compressing and Extracting Files

Working with compressed files (ZIP, GZ, TAR) is a common task when managing your hosting. Compression reduces file sizes for faster transfers and makes it easier to handle large numbers of files at once.

Extracting a ZIP File in File Manager

1. Upload your ZIP file to the desired directory using the File Manager or FTP.
2. In the cPanel File Manager, navigate to the ZIP file.
3. Right-click the ZIP file and select Extract.
4. Choose the destination directory where you want the files extracted.
5. Click Extract Files and wait for the process to complete.

Creating a Compressed Archive

1. In the File Manager, select the files or folders you want to compress.
2. Click the Compress button in the toolbar.
3. Choose the compression type: Zip, Tar, GZip, or BZip2.
4. Enter a name for the archive file.
5. Click Compress Files to create the archive.

When to Use Compression

• Uploading a website – Compress your entire site into a ZIP, upload the single file, then extract it on the server. This is much faster than uploading thousands of individual files.
• Creating backups – Compress your website directory before downloading it for a local backup.
• Moving files between directories – Compress files, move the archive, and extract at the new location.
• Sharing files – Create a ZIP to share multiple files as a single download.

Supported Formats

The cPanel File Manager supports the following archive formats:

• .zip – The most common format, compatible with all operating systems.
• .tar – Unix archive format without compression.
• .tar.gz or .tgz – Tar archive with gzip compression.
• .tar.bz2 – Tar archive with bzip2 compression (slower but better ratio).

Large Archive Notes

Extracting very large archives may take time and consume server resources. If you receive a timeout error, try splitting your archive into smaller parts or contact support for assistance with large file operations.