Display or alter the compression of files on NTFS partitions.
Syntax
COMPACT [/C | /U] [/S[:dir]] [/A] [ /I] [/F] [/Q] [/EXE[:algorithm]]
[/CompactOs[:option] [/WinDir:dir] [filename [...]]
Key
/C Compress the specified files.
Directories will be marked so that files added afterward will be compressed.
/U Uncompress the specified files.
Directories will be marked so that files added afterward will not be compressed.
/S Perform the specified operation on files in the given directory and all subdirectories.
The default "dir" is the current directory.
/A Display files with the hidden or system attributes. These files are omitted by default.
/I Continue performing the specified operation even after errors have occurred.
By default, COMPACT will stop when an error is encountered.
/F Force the compress operation on all specified files, even those which are already
compressed. Already-compressed files are skipped by default.
/Q Report only the most essential information.
/EXE Use compression optimised for executable files which are read frequently and not modified,
Supported algorithms are:
XPRESS4K (fastest) default
XPRESS8K
XPRESS16K
LZX (most compact)
/CompactOs Set or query the systems compression state.
Supported options are:
query - Query the systems compact state.
always - Compress all OS binaries and set the system state to non-compact.
never - Uncompress all OS binaries and set the system state to compact which remains
unless an administrator changes it.
/WinDir Used with /CompactOs:query, when querying the offline OS. Specifies the directory where
Windows is installed.
filename Specifies a pattern, file, or directory.
Used without parameters, COMPACT displays the compression state of the current directory and any files it contains.
You can use multiple filenames and wildcards. You must put spaces between multiple parameters.
“The truth includes all, and is compact just as much as space is compact" ~ Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass)
Related commands:
ATTRIB - Change file attributes.
COMPRESS - Compress one or more files.