If you use Dropbox, chances are you have some files you want us to take care of, and we have got that covered but sometimes you have really BIG files you want to work with, and ZIP files are perfect to manage those.
A ZIP file is a compressed archive of one or more files. When a file or folder is ZIPped, its contents are compressed using lossless data compression, reducing the file size without affecting the original file. ZIP files can be useful for saving disk space and sending large files or folders that may be too large for email attachments. They also offer a way to encrypt private data before sharing it online.
With Dropbox, you can store files of any size and format online, access them from anywhere via the internet, and share them securely with others. You can drag and drop files into the Dropbox desktop app or web app, and sharing is as simple as clicking 'Share' and selecting recipients. You can also make the most of password protection and collaboration features, which we‘ll talk about next.
It is possible to password protect ZIP files to some extent with Windows 10. To do so, right-click on the ZIP file and select ‘Properties’. From the ‘General’ tab, click ‘Advanced’. Select ‘Encrypt contents to secure data’, click OK in the Advanced window and then click OK in the Properties window to save your changes. You’ll notice that the file icon now shows a padlock. You’ll still be able to open the file if you’re logged into your account, but other accounts will not be able to access it.
For Mac users, your options are more limited. There’s no way to directly password protect a ZIP file on Mac. You’ve got to do a bit of legwork using Terminal. This is quite a complicated and, considering the other options available, unnecessary process. Again, there are plenty of third-party apps that you can use to protect ZIP files on both Windows and Mac. But granting third-party software access to your unprotected files can lead to security issues.
The easiest way to reduce a file size, including ZIP files, is by splitting them into smaller parts. UnZIPping the file and then re-organizing them into smaller ZIP files can help in managing the size constraints.
To split large ZIP files:
- Create Subfolders: Organize your files into smaller subfolders, each falling within the Dropbox download/transfer size limit.
- Compress Individually: Compress each subfolder into separate ZIP files. This way, each ZIP file is small enough to move easily.
- Download in Parts: Download each smaller ZIP file individually. While this process might be a bit time-consuming, it ensures that you can eventually download all necessary files without hitting size limits.
There are some other things you can do to handle your ZIP files, as mentioned here, but we would love to hear from you, did this answer your question, or do you want to learn more about how to use Dropbox Zip files? 
Community Manager
