after creating a zip file, can i delete the originals?

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Level 1

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after creating a zip file, can i delete the originals?

i've got some older photographs that i made into an archive file, but i don't know if i can delete the originals without actually removing them from the computer.
(i'm not really sure how zip files work... )
thanks so much.

ibook g4, Mac OS X (10.4.2), acquired from a friend when she bought a new laptop. first mac.

Posted on Oct 16, 2009 11:39 AM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Oct 16, 2009 12:05 PM in response to miss-tippy

Hi miss-tippy, and a warm welcome to the forums! 🙂

A ZIP file should contain everything in compressed format, including Folders & Files that were chosen to compress into the ZIP file.

To be on the safe side you might test those zip files to be sure everything is ok with them.

Here's some free APPs to check them...

http://www.fileguru.com/apps/ziprepair_osx

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Answer 2

Limnos

Level 10

428,171 points

Oct 16, 2009 12:22 PM in response to miss-tippy

As BDaqua suggests on the deleting aspect.

The other thing to check is if you are really saving space by zipping (if that is your intention). Many digital photographs are in .jpeg format (or GIF) which is already compressed. Sometimes zipping a compressed file will actually make it slightly larger due to the overhead of the zip format.

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Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Oct 16, 2009 12:28 PM in response to miss-tippy

Welcome to Apple Discussions!

It has been my experience in recovering old data that compressed data has a much greater likelihood of getting corrupted in the future, than uncompressed data. Keep an extra copy of the originals on several CDs, DVDs, or external hard drives in event the zip file gets corrupted.

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