An archive is the easiest way of sending files across the internet, either as a download on the web (or FTP site) or via email.

ZIP files are generally the norm these days; they are supported by the key operating systems and both Windows and Mac OS X enable you to extract ZIP files.

However, what happens if you're a software developer or someone who wants to provide a software installer to another person? Sure, you can ZIP up the files and enable the end user to manually install the application.

The best option is to archive the files and then tell the ZIP archive to perform a task when the user double-clicks on the file: for instance, the archive could run a 'setup.exe' file automatically.

WinZip Self-Extractor 3.0 is a tool that enables you to create self-extracting ZIP files. Note that you still need to have previously created a ZIP archive and that the version that ships with the regular WinZip application is only a 'Personal Edition', not the full version which is available as a separate application.