Yes, it is safe.
Yes, it is safe.
You can use WinRAR or 7-Zip to pack the files into a compressed archive. Just ensure you transfer the data safely before compression, and after extraction everything should work as expected. Be careful not to corrupt the files during the process.
The main goal of a zip or rar archive is to reduce file size without losing any information. Once compressed, these files can be restored without quality loss. But you won’t save much space on files that are already compressed, such as photos and videos. It’s better to upgrade your storage device or add a second drive so you don’t worry about capacity. You can also remove files that are simple to re-download, like installers. When I refresh a computer for someone, I suggest they use a fresh boot drive. This gives me a clean slate to install their operating system safely, while they can repurpose their existing drive as a backup.
When compressing, choose .rar or .7z formats—they offer significantly better compression than .zip. However, ensure you have a bigger storage device. Prices for storage were the cheapest ever and are expected to rise again soon (unless they're already high)