I've encrypted about 70GB of home videos into a 7zip file to keep them safe. I'm using this method specifically to password protect and encrypt the filenames. However, since I deleted the original videos, it's starting to look like I'm using a lot more space than I should. Right now, I'm seeing about 450GB of storage used on my computer, which includes that 70GB zip file.
The issue comes in when I try to add a new 500MB video. I drag it into the 7zip folder, and while it's updating, the screen shows it's processing around 70GB. Eventually, it fails, saying there's not enough disk space. I tested this and confirmed that if there's enough storage available during the update, it works fine. Once it's done, the storage usage doesn't stay doubled. I'm just trying to understand why it needs so much space during this process. Am I adding new files correctly?
2 Answers
What you're experiencing is a common thing with 7zip. When you add a file, it essentially makes a new archive that includes both the old and new files, which requires double the storage temporarily. If you're short on space, you might want to either avoid this or use a different tool like VeraCrypt for adding new videos. You could also create a separate password-protected zip for the new videos and manage them separately.
It can be done, but merging them isn’t as straightforward. You’ll have to extract and rezip them together.
You probably don’t need to compress video files since they’re typically already compressed. Maybe try just keeping them as regular files for easier management?
That’s a good point! If they set the compression to ‘Store’, they still get the encryption benefits without the extra space issue.
I opted for this method mainly for the password protection side.
Got it, thanks! By the way, if I create two zip files, is it easy to combine them later?