Why Archive Files in a .zip Format Without Compression?

Archiving files this way can help with integrity checks as well. Verifying a single zip file's integrity with a CRC is usually simpler than checking many individual files.

You might also want to password protect a .zip file. If you're handling a whole folder of files, zipping them keeps the structure intact, making it easier for someone else to manage once they receive it. Plus, many multimedia file types are essentially .zip files with different extensions.

One reason is to switch multiple small files into one package. Windows tends to struggle when transferring a lot of tiny files, so zipping them up for transfer can save time. For example, moving a million small files that only add up to 5 MB could take way longer with regular copy-pasting than just zipping and sending them over.

Lastly, zipping can hide file types, which could be useful for getting past certain filters. Some files might slip through the cracks if they're zipped!