What is the term for temporarily removing a file to decrease its size without losing data?

The term for temporarily removing a file to decrease its size without losing data is lossless compression. Lossless compression techniques allow a file to be reduced in size while ensuring that it can be perfectly reconstructed to its original state when needed. This is particularly important for files where retaining every bit of information is crucial, such as text documents, certain image formats (like PNG), and audio files (like FLAC).

Lossy compression, on the other hand, reduces file size by permanently removing some data, which can affect the quality of the file and is used in formats like JPEG or MP3, where some loss of quality might be acceptable. Data compression is a broader term that encompasses both lossy and lossless methods. File compacting could refer to a process similar to compression generally, but it is not a standard term widely used in the context of preserving data integrity. Hence, lossless compression is the most accurate term for this context.