The CHM file format and its associated .chm filename extension, is a proprietary file format developed by Microsoft. Its full name is compiled HTML Help. CHM was released to the public in 1997 as a bundle with Microsoft Windows 98 and was primarily designed to facilitate documentation on the Windows platform, particularly help files for software applications that run on the Microsoft Windows platform. Essentially, a CHM file is a collection of HTML files packed as a single compressed file. Though the format is proprietary, it was successfully reverse engineered by the late 90's to early 2000s allowing the development of open source readers that are capable of opening files with the .chm extension. The format was succeeded by the LIT format.
The .ZIP file extension format is a file archive and data compression format originally developed and released in 1989 by Phil Katz. With compatible zip format software, a file or a group of files can be packed (compressed) into a single .zip archive which can later be unpacked (decompressed). The zip file archive format facilitates the distribution of multiple files as single archives particularly over the internet and networked systems. Many operating systems have native support for the file format and can usually open zip archives without the need for third party software. Microsoft windows for instance has had native support for the ZIP format since Microsoft Windows 98, similarly Apple's Mac OS includes ZIP support through its default archive file handle Archive Utility.
FreeFileConvert uses tuned encoding for CHM to ZIP conversions, preserving clarity while trimming file size. Finished audio streams instantly across phones, tablets, desktops, and modern browsers without extra tweaks.
Upload CHM files from desktop, tablet, or cloud storage, queue multiple jobs, and let the converter finish autonomously. Return whenever convenient to download synchronized ZIP results on any device you rely on.
Process up to 5 files sized 1000 MB per batch without splitting queues manually. Mixed-format uploads convert together, producing consistent ZIP audio with dependable progress tracking.
The CHM file format is a binary format that uses the LZX algorithm to compress the HTML data found in the file. The format supports full text searching, indexing, and table of contents, among other useful features.
Many other common filename extensions use the ZIP format in one aspect or another, for example JAR, .WAR, .DOCX, .XLXS, .PPTX, .ODT, .ODS, .ODP all utilize the ZIP format. The ZIP format provides for data integrity through the CRC32 specification with support for digital signatures. It also supports multiple compression algorithms but commonly utilizes the DEFLATE algorithm.
Upload your document file in the CHM format from your device, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Select ZIP as the output format and click Convert. Adjust optional settings if needed.
Download the converted archive file. Each file stays available for up to 5 downloads.