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Using Zip Files

For each assignment, you need to download a zip file, which is a file that stores several files together. You'll extract these files to save them to your hard drive then use these files to answer questions in Part B of the assignment.

For each assignment, you need to:

  1. download a zip file;
  2. extract to your hard drive.

Later in the term, you might need to create a zip file to submit large files or MS Access files.

Downloading the Assignment File

Please complete the following steps to access the files required to complete this term's assignments. Please read all steps in these instructions before you begin to download the file in Step 1. Make sure you have created all relavent folders before you continue (read your Course Notes to find out what they are!)

  1. To begin, download the assignment file by selecting it from the Assignment's table on the Assignment Information page.
  2. A dialog box (similar to the one shown below) will appear. Select the option to Save the file.

  3. In the next dialog box, select your CS 100 folder on your hard drive as the location to which the file will be saved.
  4. Open Windows Explorer and open the CS 100 folder. You should now see a file called AssignX.zip (substitute X for the assignment number) in that folder.

Extracting a Zip File

Extracting a WinZip file will place the contents of the zip file on your hard drive.

  1. Double-click the file in Windows Explorer. WinZip will open. If you do not have WinZip, you need to purchase it as you'll be using that software throughout the semester). An evaluation version is available also. Go to www.winzip.com for information about this software.
  2. In WinZip, click on the extract button or select Extract from the Actions menu.
  3. In the next dialog box, select the CS 100 folder then click Extract.
  4. Switch to Windows Explorer and look in the CS 100 folder. There should now be a folder called Assign X that contains one or more files, depending on the assignment.
  5. Once the folder has been created, you can delete the AssignX.zip file.

Creating a Zip File

There are several ways to create zip files. This method uses some Windows shortcuts.

  1. Open the folder that contains the files you want to submit.
  2. Select the files you want to submit. For example, in Assignment 1, you don't want to submit all the files in the Assign1 folder. Instead, select only jnsA1B1.doc and jnsA1B2.jpg.

  3. With the files selected, right-click with the mouse. In the menu box that appears, select WinZip then select Add to Zip file.

  4. This action will open WinZip. In the Add dialog box, enter the name of the file, which should be your initials followed by the assignment number and ending with the extension .zip (e.g. jnsA1.zip. Once you've added the correct file name, select the Add button. You can then Exit the application.

If you have any problems with any of these steps, please contact your instructor.

Additional Resources