Specify Zip File

The Specify Zip File panel of the WinZip® Job Wizard gives you options for naming the Zip file, specifying its location, and logging the job as it runs.

The Sample name field gives you an idea of what the final Zip file name and folder will look like. The final name may vary from what is shown here if variable information is appended to the Zip file name, if generic folder names are used, or if you choose to save the Zip file in a variably named subfolder. (All of these options are described below.)

Zip file name

Type the name you want to use for the Zip file that the job will create. Do not include a drive letter or a folder.

The default name is the same as the name of the job file. For example, if you name your job file "test.wjf" your Zip file will be "test.zip".

Append to Zip file name

Additionally, you may elect to append variable information to the Zip file name. This option allows you to run the same job at various times without overwriting previously created Zip files. Options for Append to Zip file name include:

Date (yy-mm-dd), Date (yyyy-mm-dd), and Date + Time append the date in various formats to your Zip file name. (Date + Time appends the date as yyyy-mm-dd plus the time as hh-mm-ss.)
For example, if you choose Date (yy-mm-dd), and you run the job shown in the sample screen above February 1, 2006, then the Zip file would be named MyJob06-02-01.zip.
Time (hh-mm-ss) appends the time of the day to the Zip file name. A 24-hour time format is used.
Day of the week (ddd) appends the three-letter abbreviation of the current day of the week. For example, if you run the job shown in the sample screen above on Friday, the Zip file would be named MyJobFri.zip.

If (nothing) is chosen, nothing will be appended to the Zip file name.

Save in folder

The default location for your Zip file is a folder named My WinZip Files in the current user's My Documents folder. There are several options available to you for changing the location for the Zip file.

You can change the folder by manually typing a folder name (such as C:\Jobs\) or by browsing to the desired folder using the browse button.
You can specify the folder using a "generic" (also called "special") folder name. Generic folder names refer to common system folders such as My Documents. The physical locations for these folders may vary from one machine or user to another, and using generic names allows you to use the same job on multiple computers or for different users on the same computer. When a generic name is used, WinZip locates and uses the correct physical folder when the job runs.
For example, if you use the generic folder name <MyDocuments>, and the current user's My Documents folder at run time is C:\Documents and Settings\Jane\My Documents, the Zip file would be stored in that folder.
If you know the generic name, you can type it manually. Otherwise, click the Special Folders button to choose the name from a list. The most commonly-used generic folders are initially shown in the listing; to see additional generic folders, check the box labeled Show all.
Note: not all generic folders are supported by all versions of Windows. If you are going to use a job on multiple systems with varying versions of Windows, be sure to test it on all versions.
Subfolder Options allows you to store the Zip file in a subfolder of the folder you've specified. The subfolder name is set when the job runs and can be the current day of the week, the current day of the month, the current month, or the current user's name.
For example, suppose you've specified the folder name as C:\Jobs, and you've selected "current user" in Subfolder options. If a user named "Bill" runs the job, the Zip file will be placed in a folder named C:\Jobs\Bill.

Note that WinZip will create the required folder when the job runs if it does not already exist.

Zip to CD Options

This option allows you to modify the write speed that WinZip will use to write data to CD or DVD. The selection affects the job only if Save in folder evaluates to a CD or DVD drive when the job is run. See Zip to CD/DVD options for full information.

Logging Options

This option allows you to have the results of your job logged to a file. The file will have the same name as your Zip file but with the extension changed from ".zip" to ".log.txt".

When logging is enabled, WinZip will run silently and will not display any errors. This allows you to schedule your job and have it run unattended. Because no errors are displayed, you must view the log file to see if your job was successful. See help for the Logging Options dialog for full details.