Data compression can dramatically decrease the amount of storage a file takes up. For example, in a 2:1 compression ratio, a 20 megabyte (MB) file takes up 10 MB of space. As a result of compression, administrators spend less money and less time on storage.
The compression algorithm typically removes redundant information and rearranges the data so that it takes up less storage space. By reducing file sizes, you can save bandwidth when transferring or sharing files over networks.
This Option Uses NTFS Compression
Related: How to Use NTFS Compression and When You Might Want To Windows uses the NTFS file system Will This Slow Down My computer?
NTFS compression works similarly to other types of compression, like zipping a file. However, it's entirely transparent. In other words How Much Space Will I Actually Save?
So is it worth it? That's a good question, and there's no ironclad answer. It depends on the types of files you'll be compressing Should I Use This feature?
If you have a computer with a slower CPU, you should probably avoid this option. This is especially true on slow laptops and tablets To compress files and folders in Windows 10, do the following. Right click the file or folder you want to compress and select "Properties". On the General tab in Properties, click the button Advanced. In the next window, tick the check box Compress contents to save disk space under the Compress or Encrypt attributes section.