How to email a lot of files all at once

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Multiple messages sent to a digital globe.
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The easiest way to send multiple files at the same time is to place all of the files into a compressed folder. Also called a "Zipped" folder, this lets many files act like one. You can upload all of the files as a single attachment, and the person on the other end can download them as a single attachment as well. Your recipient will need to "Unzip" the files, but all Windows and Mac computers running current software have built-in software for this function. Consult your computer's help function if you have an older operating system and these methods don't work for you.

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Step 1

Create a new folder for the files you want to send. On Windows, right-click any empty area on the desktop, point to "New," and select "Folder." On a Mac, click on any empty area on your desktop, then choose "File" from the top menu bar, and then click "New folder." Name the folder something that will remind you which files you have inside it.

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Step 2

Drag and drop all of the files you want to email into your new desktop folder. If you want to keep a separate copy in the old location, hold down the "Control" key on Windows or the "Option" key on Mac while you drag.

Step 3

Confirm the folder holds all of the files you want to email.

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Step 4

Right-click the folder and choose "Send to" and then "Zipped folder" on Windows. On Mac, hold the "Control" key when you click on the folder, and then choose the "Create archive of [your folder name]" option. On both operating systems, the computer will compress your file and add the file extension ".zip" to the end.

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Step 5

Launch your email program and attach your new zipped folder the same way you would attach any file. Click "Send" when your message is ready, and all of the files will be sent.

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