Add Files to an Archive
You can add files to a new, empty archive or to an archive that already contains files. Add files either by dragging and dropping them into an archive open in PK Protect, or you can select files to add in the PK Protect Add Files dialog.
The Add Files dialog offers two ways to specify files to add. You can:
Select files directly from the folders where they reside on your system
Specify a list of files: Use a list if you want to add files from several different folders or if you often want to select the same set of files to add to an archive. By saving a list of these files, you can just add them from the list instead of selecting them again each time.
To access the Add Files dialog, Choose Add Files from the Actions group, or click Add on the Quick Access toolbar.
Adding Files with the Add Files Dialog
Basically, adding files with the Add Files dialog is as simple as picking files and folders to add and choosing OK.
To add files with the Add Files dialog:
1. Use the buttons in the left pane and the controls in the Select files group to navigate to a folder that contains files you want to add.
2. Select files to add from the displayed file listing.
- Shift+click and Ctrl+click to select multiple files. Click a folder to select all its files. Double-click a folder to open it and display its files.
- You can edit file names and patterns. See 9660586 to learn how.
- Names of currently selected files and folders appear in the File name field. Names in the field are overwritten each time you add to or change the set of selected files. The field is cleared if you open a different folder. To add files from multiple folders, use a list.
3. Optionally, to add the names of the files in the File name field to a list, choose Add to List.
4. Choose OK to add all selected files from the File name field and the Files to compress list.
If any check boxes in the dialog are checked—for example, to turn on encryption or signing—the related features are applied to the files added.
5. Confirm whether you want to keep a copy of the original files with the Move files drop-down menu:
Setting | Description |
---|---|
Never | PK Protect will never delete originals when archiving files. |
Always | PK Protect will always delete originals when archiving files. |
When encrypted | PK Protect will only delete originals when the file is encrypted. |
If the archive is new and has not been named, the Save Archive As dialog opens so that you can name and save the archive. See here for information on how to save an archive.
Edit File Names and Patterns
You can edit the names and patterns in the File name field. For example, if you just want all the .txt
files but not the other files in myfolder
, you can change myfolder\*.*
to myfolder\*.txt
.
You can also enter a file name pattern by itself— for example, *.txt
or my03??.doc
. A file name pattern picks out all files whose names match the pattern.
Wildcard character | Matches |
---|---|
Asterisk (*) | Zero or more characters |
Question mark (?) | Zero or one single character |
So, for example, *.txt
matches all files (in the folders searched) whose names end in .txt
. Pattern *.htm?
matches all files that end in .htm
or .html
(along with any other file with a four-letter extension beginning with .htm
).
An advantage of using file name patterns, particularly if you are building a list to use again, is that patterns pick out all files that match. So even if new .txt
files are added to a folder after you create your list, the pattern *.txt
will match them the next time you use your list.
Compression Filter Dropdown
The Compression filter drop-down menu offers choices for applying filters to the set of selected files:
Item | What It Means |
---|---|
No filter | No filters are applied to selected files. |
Standard (the default) | Filters are set to exclude hidden and system files from the files selected to be added. |
Advanced | The filter options currently set in Filter Properties are applied to selected files. |
Access Filter Properties from the General page of Compression options.
Check Box Settings and Other Options
Other settings you have made in Compression options are applied automatically. For example, you can set options to control whether files already in the archive are updated, replaced, or supplemented:
Freshening and updating files: On the General page of Compression options, you can use the Add mode drop-down menu to apply the following rules to files selected for your archive:
Add only files that are newer versions of files already in the archive
Add only files that are newer versions or are not in the archive at all
Add files regardless of whether versions of the files already exist in the archive
Overwriting existing files: On the General page of Compression options, the Overwrite drop-down menu offers options when you add a file that already exists in the archive.
Related Topics
Encrypt Files When You Add Them to an Archive
Attach a Comment to an Archive
Compressing and Extracting from Archives
Options for Compressing and Adding Files
Filter Files by Date, Age, or Size