There are plenty of times file compression comes in handy. If you are emailing a file to someone, depending on the size of it, you may need to compress it first, because many email servers limit the size of messages they can send or receive. If you are sending several files at one time, such as your holiday photo collection, compressing them into one file not only makes it easier to manage but can also save you from having to split them between several emails. If you need to send files over a slow Internet connection, compressing the files first can considerably reduce the transfer time. Image files are often compressed to a smaller format to enable easier sharing or prepare them for the Web. If you create a backup image of your hard drive, many programs will compress the image, so it can be stored on removable media. Anytime you need to transfer or store files that are too large, file compression can help.