Save Path Information

When you add a file to an archive, you can save information about the path that locates the file as well. With this information, you can restore the structure of folders and subfolders that the path information contains when you extract the file.

To save path information:

1. Select Options from the Application Menu.

2. Select the Compression category.

3. Select one of the following settings from the Save Folder Name drop-down menu:

Setting	What It Does
Relative path	Saves path information relative to the folder in the Look in field when you choose OK, for subfolders of that folder. For other files and folders, saves path information relative to the root of the drive (not including the drive letter). Example
No path information	No path or folder information is saved for the files added
Full path	The path is saved starting from the root folder of the drive (not including the drive letter)
Relative search path	Saves path information relative to the last folder named in each path name pattern. Example

The extraction option Restore folders determines whether saved path information is used when files are extracted.

Relative Path example

Suppose that your file system contains these paths:

\MyStuff\MyFolder_A\MyFolder_B\MyFolder_C

\MyStuff\MyDirectory_A\MyDirectory_B\MyDirectory_C

With Relative path and Include subfolders selected, and with folder MyFolder_A in the Look in field, you add files to an archive from a list that contains the following two path name patterns:

```
… \MyFolder_A\*.txt
```
```
\MyDirectory_A\*.txt
```

Because MyFolder_A was selected in the Look in field, path information for archived files in subfolders of MyFolder_A is saved relative to MyFolder_A. For these files, the Folder column (in Details view) contains information like this:

MyFolder_B\

MyFolder_B\MyFolder_C\

No path information is saved for files in MyFolder_A because that is considered the root. (The files are archived, however.)

Path information for files that are not in MyFolder_A or its subfolders is saved relative to the root of the drive that the folders are on. For these files, the Folder column contains information like this:

Documents and Settings\\MyStuff\MyDirectory_A\
Documents and Settings\\MyStuff\MyDirectory_A\MyDirectory_B\
Documents and Settings\… \MyStuff\MyDirectory_A\MyDirectory_B\MyDirectory_C\

The root level of the archive contains the files from MyFolder_A. It also contains the two folders MyFolder_B and Documents and Settings. All the other files added are in subfolders of these.

Example: Relative Search Path

Suppose that your file system contains these paths:

\MyStuff\MyFolder_A\MyFolder_B\MyFolder_C

\MyStuff\MyDirectory_A\MyDirectory_B\MyDirectory_C

With Relative search path and Include subfolders selected, you add files to an archive from a list that contains the following two path name patterns:

```
… \MyFolder_A\*.txt
```
```
\MyDirectory_A\*.txt
```

Path information for files in MyFolder_A and its subfolders is saved relative to MyFolder_A because MyFolder_A is the last-named folder in that file name pattern. For files in subfolders of MyFolder_A, the Folder column (in Details view) contains information like this:

MyFolder_B\

MyFolder_B\MyFolder_C\

No path information is saved for files in MyFolder_A because that is considered the root.

Path information for files in MyDirectory_A and its subfolders is saved relative to MyDirectory_A. For files in subfolders of MyDirectory_A, the Folder column (in Details view) contains information like this:

MyDirectory_B\

MyDirectory_B\MyDirectory_C\

The root level of the archive contains:

The subfolders of each relative search path root:

MyFolder_B\

MyDirectory_B\

All .txt files from the two relative root folders MyFolder_A and MyDirectory_A: Files from all specified relative root folders are placed together in the root of the archive.