How to split a large archive into parts
File too big for an email or a USB drive? Split the archive into volumes of the size you need — and put them back together in one click.
When you need it
- Email limits attachments — Gmail allows 25 MB.
- USB drives formatted as FAT32 can’t store files larger than 4 GB.
- Big files are easier to transfer in parts and re-download one at a time.
What your system can do
- Windows. File Explorer can’t split archives.
- macOS. In Terminal:
zip -s 100m -r archive.zip foldermakes 100 MB parts. To join them into one file:zip -s 0 archive.zip --out whole.zip.
With Peak Zip
- Create an archive in Peak Zip.
- Turn on splitting into volumes and set the part size.
- Send or copy all the parts.
How to open a split archive
Put all parts in one folder and open the first one. If even one part is missing, the archive won’t extract — so make sure all parts arrived.