Save an Archive in Segments

Split an Archive

When a ZIP archive is too big to email or store in one piece, you can save the archive so that it is split into multiple segments. You can then email or store the segments separately.

How Split Archive Segments Are Named

Segment files that make up a split archive all have the same file name prefix. They are differentiated and sequenced by their file name extension. For example, with a split ZIP archive named myarchive.zip that has three segments, the segments are named myarchive.z01, myarchive.z02, myarchive.zip. The last segment has the name of the archive proper.

Span Media with an Archive

If you want to save an open archive to removable media, such as a writable CD or floppy disk, you can have Smartcrypt save the archive in segments across multiple media. Smartcrypt can automatically pick an appropriate size for the segment files so that they fit the particular media.

Saving an archive across multiple removable media is called spanning.

How Spanned Archive Segments Are Named

Segment files that make up a spanned archive all have the same file name. They are differentiated and sequenced by the volume label that Smartcrypt writes to each removable disk or cartridge. The first volume is labeled PKBACK#001, the second is PKBACK#002, and so on.

Create Split or Spanned Archives

You must save an archive from the Save Archive As dialog to split or span it. The setting in the Split size drop-down menu controls whether and how the archive is split or spanned.

Notes:

You can only split or span ZIP archives.
Segment files can be as small as 64 KB and as large as 4,194,303 KB.

To have Smartcrypt automatically split or span an archive (only) if necessary to save it in segments—for example, across multiple removable media:

Select Auto-Detect in the Split size drop-down menu. This setting is the default. If there is not enough space for the entire archive on the drive you specified, Smartcrypt splits the archive and prompts you for a location for the segment that would not fit.

With removable media, Smartcrypt automatically sizes the segment files to fit on the removable media. If the archive is not saved to removable media or fits without being segmented, the archive is saved in one piece.

To tell Smartcrypt not to segment an archive

Select Do Not Span in the Split size drop-down menu. If the archive is too big to fit on the target drive or disk, Smartcrypt displays an error that there is insufficient space.

To have Smartcrypt split an archive into segments of a specified size

Select a size from the drop-down menu, or enter a custom size of at least 64KB. The drop-down menu offers sizes for several common types of removable media.

To open a split archive when all segments are in the same folder

Open the last segment—the one with the unmodified name of the archive—just as you would open any ordinary archive.

Smartcrypt reassembles the archive from its segments. If you want, you can save the opened archive as an unsplit archive by choosing Save As from the Application menu or the Quick Access Toolbar.

To open an archive that spans multiple media

Open the last segment just as you would open any ordinary archive. If you open a segment other than the last one, you will be prompted to insert the last segment.

To work with the archive—for example, to extract its contents—you will be asked to insert the media containing the other segments.