What is NTFS Compression
Did you know that Windows can selectively compress individual files and folders while letting you use them as you would normally? The feature is called NTFS Compression and may be a better option than using an app like 7-Zip to compress and decompress files on demand.
Note that there is a trade-off to NTFS compression! In exchange for reducing disk space usage, files and folders will use more CPU when accessed because they need to be decompressed. How much more? It’s hard to say because it depends on the file type. However, if you have a modern system with a relatively fast CPU, you probably won’t notice much of a performance hit.
We only recommend NTFS compression for infrequently used files, such as backup documents, reference materials, etc. Avoid using it for audio and video files because they’ve likely been compressed already according to their codecs. Do NOT use NTFS compression for system files or folders!
- Launch File Explorer (Windows key + E) and navigate to any file or folder.
- Right-click on the file or folder and select Properties.
- In the General tab, click Advanced…
- Enable the checkbox for Compress contents to save disk space.
Note that there is a trade-off to NTFS compression! In exchange for reducing disk space usage, files and folders will use more CPU when accessed because they need to be decompressed. How much more? It’s hard to say because it depends on the file type. However, if you have a modern system with a relatively fast CPU, you probably won’t notice much of a performance hit.
We only recommend NTFS compression for infrequently used files, such as backup documents, reference materials, etc. Avoid using it for audio and video files because they’ve likely been compressed already according to their codecs. Do NOT use NTFS compression for system files or folders!
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