Dear Members of the Roll List, Some of us may not be familiar with .ZIP files. Here's some information. .ZIP files are a way to work with files that are too large to handle in ordinary ways. By substituting shortened codes for larger, regularly occurring binary code patterns, large files can be compressed to a smaller file size, allowing for an easier and quicker transfer of information. The file is said to have been "zipped." For you to access a file that has been compressed, however, the file must first be decompressed and returned to its original state. This is known as "unzipping" a file. A computer program is required to do the zipping and unzipping. I use three different types of .ZIP utilities: 1. Winzip, a shareware program, zips and unzips files. You can download the program over the internet. 2. Windows Commander, a shareware program written by a gentleman in Switzerland, is much like File Manager from Windows 3.x and Windows Explorer from Windows 95, but much better. Commander treats .ZIP files almost transparently. Windows Commander is cloned from the famous Norton Commander. You can download the program over the internet. 3. ZipFolders, a commercial program, attaches itself to Windows 3.x and 95. With this program installed, your computer decodes .ZIP files on the fly. You can ignore .ZIP files because your computer treats them as normal files. You probably have to mail order this one. I can send you more information about where to get the programs, and what the prices are. -Bill _______________________________________________________________ William Henry Roll Blythe, California [email protected] The genealogy of the ROLL, MANGEL and VAN WOGGELUM families on the World Wide Web at http://members.aol.com/whroll "A thousand candles have burned themselves out; yet I read on."