:-/  I am wondering why so many sites offer both zip formats and exe formats and what advantages are there with using or saving either one of them???  

phoenix77

When compressed files were first introduced--if you did not have the software on your system to *unzip* a file, you could not get access to it--so *self extracting* *exe* files were created so you click on it and the files would be extracted to your system so you could use them without having the *zip* handling software present.  Most newer *file manager* programs now have built-in native support for compressed zip files.

Also *exe* files can often times include an *install* routine that can be called as part of the extracting of the files if they require being installed.  Otherwise, after extracting, you then have to find the install *setup.exe* file to proceed.

A huge drawback to .zip files is that many people don't know what to do with them. ::)

If the receiving person doesn't have a suitable UNZipping program on their computer, they can never get into the zipped file.  Big bummer!

On the other hand, if the file is a self extracting .exe file, they have only to click it to unpack it.
Nothing could be any simpler.  

I now prepare all my zipped files with 7Zip which makes preparing a self extracting file so simple even a Cave Man could do it.  ;D ;D

7Zip is free, too.

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor  8-)

I personally see a ton of .rar files also.

The good stuff usually comes packaged in .rar files.

zip can also make self-extracting files, btw.