What command line parameters does WinZip support?

Here is some information about the undocumented command line Options in WinZip 6.2.

WinZip supports command line options to add and extract from files. Be sure to read the Notes section below for important restrictions.

Adding Files

The command format is:

    winzip[32].exe action [options] filename[.zip] files

action
-a for add, -f for freshen, -u for update, and -m for move. These actions correspond to the actions described in the section titled "Adding files to an Archive" in the online manual.

options
-r and -p correspond to the "Recurse Directories" and "Save Extra Directory Info" checkboxes in the Add and Drop dialog boxes. -ex, -en, -ef, -es, and -e0 options determine the compression method: eXtra, Normal, Fast, Super fast, and no compression. The default is "Normal".

The WinZip 6.3 Beta adds the -sPassword option. The password can be enclosed in quotes, for example, -s"Secret Password". Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

filename.zip
Specifies the name of the Zip file involved. Be sure to use the full filename (including the directory).

files
Is a list of one or more files, or the @ character followed by the filename containing a list of files to add, one filename per line. Wildcards (e.g. *.bak) are allowed.

Extracting Files

The command format is:

    winzip[32].exe -e [options] filename[.zip] directory

-e
Is required.

options
-o and -j stand for "Overwrite existing files without prompting" and "Junk pathnames", respectively. Unless -j is specified, directory information is used.

The WinZip 6.3 Beta adds the -sPassword option. The password can be enclosed in quotes, for example, -s"Secret Password". Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

filename.zip
Specifies the name of the Zip file involved. Be sure to specify the full filename (including the directory).

directory
Is the name of the directory to which the files are extracted. If the directory does not exist it is created.

Notes

• VERY IMPORTANT: Always specify complete filenames, including the full path name and drive letter, for all file IDs.

• To run WinZip in a minimized inactive icon use the "-min" option. When specified this option must be the first option.

• Only operations involving the built-in zip and unzip are supported.

• Enclose long filenames in quotes.

• The action and each option must be separated by at least one space.

• WinZip can be used to compress files with cc:Mail . Change the compress= line in the [cc:Mail] section of the appropriate WMAIL.INI files to specify the full path for WinZip followed by "-a %1 @%2". For example, if WinZip is installed in your c:\winzip directory, specify

      compress=c:\winzip\winzip.exe -a %1 @%2

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