Working with WinZip Backup Jobs
WinZip Backup Job files are a way to automate the process of creating Zip files. They are great for repetitive zipping tasks.
The easy-to-use Job Wizard helps you to create your own job to archive your files. It guides you, in a few quick steps, through
the process of specifying exactly how your job should work.
Using the Job Wizard you can specify:
- Which files and folders you want to zip.
- How files should be added to the zip.
- Whether you want to encrypt files when they are zipped.
- How thay should be compressed and any conversions that should be applied.
- What the Zip file should be named and where it should go. The Zip file name can include variable components such as
the date and time so that new Zip files won't overwrite existing Zip files.
On each panel, you can either click Back to navagate to the previous step or Next to continue to the next step.
Step 1: Select Items
This panel allows you to select the files and folders to be zipped by your WinZip job. You can also specify filters,
which refine your file selections when the job is run.

Item list
The Items column lists the current set of files and folders to be included and excluded.
The Action column shows what action will be applied to each item. Inc indicates that the item will be included,
and Exc indicates that it will be excluded. Folders may also show the indicator Sub, which indicates that the
action will also apply to subfolders of the folder.
To add items to the item list, click Add items, which will display a dialog that allows you to select the files, folders
you want to back up. In the resulting dialog, simply check the files and folders you want included. When you click Add,
your selections will appear in the Files/folders list.
To remove items from the item list, select one or more items in the list and click Remove items.
Filters
Filters are used to refine your file selections. For example, you can use Exclude filters to skip files that match wildcard
patterns that you specify, and you can use Include filters to zip only files matching wildcard patterns.
To create or modify filters, click the Filters button. Note that filters do not appear in the list of items in the
Select Items dialog.
Step 2: Choose Job Type
This panel sets your WinZip job type for how files are added to the zip file.

Password/encryption
This option specifies how files should be added to the zip file. The choices are:
- Normal: Zip all the selected files. If the zip file already exists then it is replaced.
- Update: update a Zip file by replacing allready-archived files with newer copies from disk and adding any new files
that match your specifications. Typically used to keep archived copies of files from a specific set of locations up to date.
- Freshen: Zips files that already exist in the archive replacing any out of date files with newer files. No files are
added to an existing zip file. Freshen on a non-existing zip file will zip all the selected files to create an initial archive.
Step 3: Specify Job Options
This panel sets your WinZip job options for how folder information is stored, whether the zipped files should be encrypted,
what compression method is used, and what conversions should be applied.

Password/encryption
This option specifies whether and how files should be encrypted when they are zipped. The choices are:
- None: the files are not encrypted.
- Save with job: the files are encrypted, and the encryption password is saved in the job file. If they have not already
been saved, you will be asked for the password and encryption method when you click Next. You can also use the Edit
settings button to set or modify your encryption method and password. Note: you should be aware of the security
implications of saving the encryption password in the job file. Please read about WinZip job security considerations.
- Ask when the job runs: you will be asked for the encryption password and method when the job runs. This is the safest
setting, but it does require you to be present when the job starts.
Conversions
You can select to have WinZip do any of the available conversions to your files as it adds them to the Zip file being created.
Compression
Choose the compression method to be used in compressing the files. Only one compression type can be selected.
Step 4: Specify Zip File
This panel of the WinZip Job Wizard gives you options for naming the Zip file and specifying its location.

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 WinZip Backup.zip. To help you to prevent over writing a file of the same name already saved
in the folder, Append to Zip file name is set to Date + Time. You may type any name you wish and either configure to have
nothing added to the end of the file name or choose something else to be appended.
Append to Zip file name
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. The Append to Zip file name options are:
- 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, 2020,
then the Zip file would be named WinZip Backup20-02-01.zip(x).
- Time (hh-mm-ss) appends the time of the day to the Zip file name. A 24-hour time format is used.
- Day of 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 WinZip BackupFri.zip(x).
- Day of month (dd) appends the two-digit day of the month. For example, if you run the job shown in the sample screen
above on February 1, 2020 the Zip file would be named WinZip Backup01.zip(x).
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 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.
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.
Step 5: Review Settings
This panal in the WinZip Job Wizard allows you to review the choices that you have made while creating or modifying your
job. After reviewing these settings, you can either click Back to make changes or Next to continue to the final step.

Step 6: Specifications Complete
This is the final step of the WinZip Job Wizard. Here you can:
- Click Finish when you are dome and your job will be saved. If you checked the Run this job when I click
Finish, the job will be run immediately, and you will be able to review the results and examine the resulting Zip file.
- Click Back if you would like to review or change any settings.

Important notes
- WinZip jobs are intended for data backup and archive only. WinZip's job feature is not designed or intended
for use as a full system backup utility. For system backs you should use tools specifically designed for that purpose.
- Security Consideration - because WinZip jobs automate the use of WinZip, you should give them the same consideration
you would give to any app you run on your computer. Know your source, never run a WinZip job from an unknown source. Know you
destination, zip files could be created on a shared location allowing others access to the Zip file and it contents. Protect your
password, encrypting Zip files requires a password. For the security of your password, it is recomended that you use the options
to prompt for a password when the job runs.