WinZip Free Download

First we need to download the Winzip free download trial into our computer:

If you are using Microsoft Windows: You can click over this link

If you are using an Apple MAC or MAC PRO computer you can use this other link

Once the download is finished we double click the file to initiate the installation process. This tutorial was created using WinZip 15, the most recent version of WinZip available at the time of writing, but it is safe to assume that the installation procedure will be quite similar in any newer version that might come out from WinZip Labs. The rest of this WinZip installation tutorial will be Microsoft Windows-oriented but it may be very similar conceptually for a MAC user to follow. 

Please Note that Windows may throw us a security warning asking us if we are sure to run this program -as it was downloaded from the Internet- but we can dismiss the question window, as the program is the  WinZip free download trial from Winzip website itself, so it is safe to install.

WinZip free download trial installation will greet us with the above Window. You may Cancel WinZip installation by pressing the "Cancel" button. Just for the fun, if you press the "Info ..." button, a new window will pop-up stating that WinZip installation program was made with a special version of WinZip that specializes in creating self-installing packages.

To start the actual installation, you press the "Setup" button. WinZip installation program will take some seconds on internally decompressing itself. A new window will open, offering you some third party offerings, like the following:

Please note that you have an opt-out checkbox (which is by default checked indicating that WinZip will install this third party software). For the sake of our tutorial, we will uncheck it, so we can keep it nice and clean. After dismissing this offering, WinZip installation brings up the following Window:

Which is the first step of WinZip installation. You may read about the tasks that WinZip will help you to accomplish, as an introduction to the installation procedure. When ready to continue into the next installation step, you click over the "Next >" Button.

This step is required in all software installation. You are presented with WinZip License Agreement, which you must accept if you want the application to be installed. It is a good idea to read it, if you are not acquainted with software licensing issues, but I can state that this is a typical end-user software license.

Once accepted (you must select the roundbutton over the left of the "I accept the license agreement"), you may click over the "Next >" button, that will move the installation into the following window:

Here you can change the place where WinZip will install itself in your computer. I suggest you NOT to change it. Leave it as it is... which is the standard and expected place for new software to store itself. Please press "Next >" when you are ready to move into the next WinZip installation step.

This step will allow you to select / Deselect the different installation options that WinZip offers. I suggest that you leave it as it is. It will integrate WinZip with your windows, placing convenient WinZip shortcuts in the expected places. When you are satisfied with your selected options, you may press the "Next >" Button

This new options window allows you to select as default compression behaviour the NEW WinZip ".zipx" Algorithm or the older "legacy" compression algorithm that is being universally used (".zip"). I recommend you to leave it as it is with the Legacy compression option selected, unless you are sure you can select the better but not yet very widespread new ".zipx" algorithm.

When is it safe to use the ".zipx" compression ?  If you are planning to store files for your own backup / use, or you might distribute your compressed files with fellow coworkers, family, friends, etc. that are also using any of the newer WinZip programs (or any third party compressing programs) supporting the ".zipx" compression algorithm.

When ready to move on, please press the "Next >" button to continue:

This last options step is self-explanatory. For the sake of this tutorial I will select the "No Thanks, Just install WinZip" option, and press the "Next >" button:

Finally, we reach the last step previous to WinZip actually copying its files into our computer and installing itself. This is the last chance to Cancel (By pressing the "Cancel" button) our installation, before adding WinZip to our system.  To continue, please press the "Next >" button.

At this time, Microsoft Windows may ask yet again if we are ok with WinZip installation to introduce changes into our computer, which we will answer that it is OK. We will see a progress bar depicting the working installation:

When all WinZip files are properly copied into our computer, WinZip will ask us some final configuration questions:

First it will ask us if we want to introduce our input / customize the way WinZip will finish setup. Please leave this option as it is, with the Express setup (which is recommended by WinZip) selected, and press the "Next >" button.

WinZip will give us the chance to view / modify the file associations it makes, to tell windows that such files should be handled by WinZip. I suggest that you just press "Next >" again, as the file associations WinZip makes are correct and needed for it to work properly.

Congratulations: This is the last pop-up window that WinZip installer will show you. When you press the "Finish" button, Winzip will open itself so you can confirm that you have successfully installed the Winzip free download trial. If you do not want WinZip to open, just deselect the "Launch WinZip 15.0" checkbox and then Press "Finish".