Most everyone who wants to zip files already knows how to unzip files so this is for zipping files with the most popular program - WinZip in Windows Explorer.
 

Step 1
Download the evaluation version of WinZip from winzip.com.
I support registering the software you use habitually.  I used the evaluation with its nag screens for a few years before I was able to register it and I've never bee sorry I registered it!

Install it.

I always select the 'Classic' startup window in preference to the Wizard startup during installation.

This is the classic interface.  Fortunately you seldom have to use it when zipping from Windows Explorer - a big PLUS in using it there.

 

Step 2
In Windows Explorer, locate the file, files or folder you want to zip.  I am pointing at a folder named ZipRoom where I store files I want to zip.  You can zip the entire folder full of files by just selecting the folder itself as in the image.

 

Step 3
You can select individual files that are listed in a row by clicking on the top file, then depressing and holding the SHIFT key while clicking on the bottom file.

 

Step 4
You can select individual files not together by clicking on the first file, then depressing the CTRL key while clicking on each additional file.

 

Step 5
Once you have selected your folder or individual files, you place the cursor over any one of the selected files/folder and RIGHT click to get the window of choices, click on winzip and it slides open another list of choices.  Now you have a choice of these - the easiest if choosing to zip a whole folder is the second choice down which names the file the same as the folder but I generally use the top choice which is simply Add to zip file so I can name the file as I choose so we will select the top choice for the sake of this tutorial to see the other steps.

 

Step 6
The Add window will open and the Add to Archive:   will have the path of the folder in it and it will be highlighted so you can just start typing.

 

Step 7
All of my files in this folder right now are frames, so I will just name the zip file 'Frames' then click the 'Add' button.

 

Step 8
You will watch as WinZip does it's job until the Classic window is the only thing remaining with the list of files it zipped into the zip file, then close the window from the 'File' menu or just click the 'X' in the upper right had corner to close the window.

 

Step 9
If you zipped individual files, the new zip file will appear at the bottom of the list of files and you can move it where you want it.

 

Step 10
Here's the only tricky part!  If you zipped a folder of files by clicking on the folder to zip it, the new zip file will appear in the same folder that the zipped folder is in.  Examples:  If the folder you zipped is a sub-folder of another folder, it will be in the parent-folder - in this case the folder was inside a folder called PSP - therefore the new zip file will be inside the PSP folder.

Step  11

If the folder you zipped was NOT inside another folder, it will be in the ROOT of the drive - for instance, here, I zipped the EPS folder on D drive, so the new zip file is in the ROOT of D drive.
 

Tutorial by CSGreen