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What is a Zip file extension?

The Zip archive format makes it easier to send—and back up—large files or groups of files. A Zip file is a single file containing one or more compressed files, offering an ideal way to make large files smaller and keep related files together. The most popular compression format for Windows, Zip is commonly used for emailing and sharing files over the Internet. When you receive or download a Zip file, you need a way to extract or unpack it so you can access these files. WinZip, the world’s most popular zip file opener, it is the fast and easy way to open your Zip files.

How to open Zip files

1. Save the .zip file extension to the desktop. If your compressed file was downloaded from a website, it may be saved in the Downloads folder in your Documents or user directory.
2. Launch WinZip from your start menu or Desktop shortcut. Open the compressed file by clicking File > Open. If your system has the compressed file extension associated with WinZip program, just double-click on the file.
3. Select all the files and folders inside the compressed file. Or multi-select only the files or folders you want to open by holding the CTRL key and left-clicking on them.
4. Click 1-click Unzip and choose Unzip to PC or Cloud in the WinZip toolbar under the Unzip/Share tab.
5. Choose the destination folder to place the extracting files and click «Unzip» button.
6. Find your extracted files in the destination folder.

Open Zip files on Windows or Mac

• WinZip 25
• Windows 10
• Windows 8
• Windows 7
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP
• Internet Explorer 8 or later

• WinZip Mac 8
• Mac OS X 10.8, 10.9, or 10.10
• Intel 64-bit processor
• Supports Apple Retina Displays

WinZip opens and extracts Zip Compressed Archive Files—and many more formats

We designed WinZip to open and extract from the widest range of file formats, including all of the following:

Get WinZip now to open your Zip file(s), then enjoy all that the world’s most popular compression utility has to offer, including the easiest and most practical file compression, encryption, packaging, file management and data backup capabilities.

Also visit our partner site www.openthefile.net for more options to open Zip files.

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Zip and unzip files

Zipped (compressed) files take up less storage space and can be transferred to other computers more quickly than uncompressed files. In Windows, you work with zipped files and folders in the same way that you work with uncompressed files and folders. Combine several files into a single zipped folder to more easily share a group of files.

Locate the file or folder that you want to zip.

Press and hold (or right-click) the file or folder, select (or point to) Send to, and then select Compressed (zipped) folder.

A new zipped folder with the same name is created in the same location. To rename it, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Rename, and then type the new name.

Locate the zipped folder that you want to unzip (extract) files or folders from.

Do one of the following:

To unzip a single file or folder, open the zipped folder, then drag the file or folder from the zipped folder to a new location.

To unzip all the contents of the zipped folder, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Extract All, and then follow the instructions.

To add files or folders to a zipped folder you created earlier, drag them to the zipped folder.

If you add encrypted files to a zipped folder, they’ll be unencrypted when they’re unzipped, which might result in unintentional disclosure of personal or sensitive information. For that reason, we recommend that you avoid zipping encrypted files.

Some types of files, like JPEG images, are already highly compressed. If you zip several JPEG pictures into a folder, the total size of the folder will be about the same as the original collection of pictures.

15 Best Free Zip & Unzip Programs

Free file extractors for ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, & other compressed formats

Free file extractor software helps you extract the one or more files contained within a compressed file, ending in extensions like ZIP, RAR, 7Z and many others. Compressing files is a very common practice to help keep downloads and backups organized and small.

These programs — commonly called zip or unzip programs — are usually small, easy to install, ​and support lots of common compression formats.

File extractor programs are also sometimes referred to as packer/unpacker, zipper/unzipper, or compression/decompression programs. Regardless of what they’re called, they all do the same thing — and the ones we’ve listed below do it for free!

PeaZip

Integrates with Windows Task Scheduler.

No built-in Mac support.

PeaZip is a free file unzipper program that can extract content from over 180 archive file formats, some of which are common and others that are lesser-known.

In addition to decompressing files, PeaZip can also create new archives in over 10 formats. These can be password-protected and encrypted with 256-bit AES encryption, as well as secured with a keyfile for added protection.

PeaZip has some advanced features, too, like scheduled archives and support for creating self-extracting files.

Reliable AES-256 encryption.

For personal or commercial use.

Heavy on system resources.

7-Zip is likely one of the most widely known file archiving and extracting software, with support for a wide range of popular file formats.

Dozens of archive file types can be opened with 7-Zip, and you can create a new archive in a few popular formats. You can also create self-extracting files in the EXE format that can be launched and extracted without using any decompression software — this is great if you’re sending an archive to someone but you aren’t sure if they have the proper software to extract files.

7-Zip integrates with Windows Explorer so that you can right-click an archive file to pull the content out.

Something else we like about 7-Zip is that it doesn’t try to install extra software or toolbars during setup. However, one downside is that there isn’t a portable 7-Zip available from the developer.

UnzipLite is another free decompressor program that’s based on the 7-Zip project, so it looks and functions nearly identical to 7-Zip.

Opening ZIP Files

The ZIP format offers the possibility to group several files or entire directory trees in a container file to save space. All common operating systems make compression functions available for archiving files that you no longer need using native tools. However, special compression programs offer a more extensive range of functions.

A detailed guide on how to create ZIP files can be found in our general article about ZIP files. Read our step-by step tutorial below and learn how to extract zipped files – both with your operating system’s standard programs and with the most popular applications by other software manufacturers.

Unpacking ZIP Files with Windows Standard Programs

Follow these steps to unpack ZIP files using the tools that Windows 10 provides:

Step 1: Select the ZIP file you want to extract and right-click on the selected file.

Step 2: Click on “Extract all. ” in the shortcut menu that opens.

Windows File Explorer shortcut menu

Step 3: Select the destination folder where you want to save the contents of the ZIP file and click “Extract”.

Selecting the save destination

How to Open ZIP Files with macOS Standard Programs

Follow these steps to unpack a ZIP file using the standard macOS archive program.

Step 1: Select the ZIP file you want to open and right-click on the selected file.

Step 2: Click on “Open With” in the shortcut menu and select “Archive Utility (default)”. Alternatively, with macOS a double-click on a ZIP file is sufficient to unzip it with the default program.

macOS Finder shortcut menu

The unpacked content is automatically stored in the same folder as the ZIP file.

Unpacking Compressed Files with ZIP Programs

Special compression programs provide more options for zipping and unzipping files. Some of the most popular applications for Microsoft Windows include WinZip,WinRAR, and 7-Zip.

WinZip

Follow these steps to open a ZIP file using WinZip:

Step 1: Download the program WinZip from the website of the Canadian software manufacturer Coral as a trial version or paid full version: https://www.winzip.com/win/en/.

Step 2: Install WinZip on your system and agree to integrate the program into the Windows File Explorer shortcut menu.

Step 3: Right-click on the ZIP file you want to extract and select “WinZip”.

Step 4: Choose one of three options for unpacking ZIP folders:

WinZip options	Description
Unzip to.	Save the contents of the ZIP file to a destination folder of your choice
Unzip to here	Save the contents of the ZIP file to the current folder
Unzip to folder C:\User\EUser\Desktop\test	Save the contents of the ZIP file to the current directory in a folder named the same as the ZIP file

The WinZip program can be integrated directly into Windows Explorer’s shortcut menu.

WinRAR

Follow these steps to unpack a ZIP file using WinRAR:

Step 1: Download the proprietary archive program WinRAR from the provider’s website: https://www.rarlab.com/.

Step 2: Install WinRAR on your system and agree to integrate the program into the Windows File Explorer’s shortcut menu.

Step 3: Right-click on the ZIP file you want to open and select one of four options:

WinRAR options	Description
Open with WinRAR	Open the ZIP file with WinRAR
Extract files…	Save the ZIP file according to settings made in the next step
Extract Here	Save the contents of the ZIP file to the current folder
Extract to test	Save the contents of the ZIP file to the current directory in a folder named the same as the ZIP file

If necessary, you can integrate WinRAR directly into the Windows File Explorer shortcut menu and set the application as the default program for ZIP files and other archive formats.

The free software 7-Zip scores well not only with its extensive range of functions, but also since it’s free to use. To extract a ZIP file with 7-Zip:

Step 1: Download 7-Zip from https://www.7-zip.org/.

Step 2: Install the software on your system. The ZIP program is automatically integrated into the Windows shortcut menu.

Step 3: Right-click on the ZIP file you want to open and select 7-Zip from the Windows File Explorer shortcut menu.

Step 4: Select one of the following options to open the ZIP file with 7-Zip:

7-Zip options	Description
Open archive	Open the ZIP file with 7-Zip
Open > * / # / #:e / 7z / zip / cab / rar	Open the file with the specified format
Extract files…	Save the ZIP file according to settings made in the next step
Extract Here	Save the contents of the ZIP file to the current folder
Extract to “Example\”	Save the contents of the ZIP file to the current directory in a folder named the same as the ZIP file

7-Zip can also be integrated directly into the Windows File Explorer shortcut menu after installation.

We offer you a detailed comparison of the most popular ZIP programs in our article on WinZip alternatives.

9 excellent FTP programs / FTP clients for Windows & Mac

Are you familiar with the file transfer protocol also known as FTP? Those who answered this question negatively are advised to learn more about FTP by reading this guide. FTP immensely eases the task of transferring data over the internet. FTP servers are an especially wise choice when faced with the job of transferring large volumes of data. Transferring files to servers for exchange requires a.

Create a ZIP File: compress your files

Send multiple images and videos via email, archive large amounts of data without using too much space, or encrypt confidential documents — you can do all of this by zipping files. We show you how to create a compressed ZIP file in Windows as well as macOS in our step-by-step guide. We also show you how to protect your files with a password if needed. This way, you can manage your storage space.

WinZip alternatives: the best programs at a glance

Those seeking a powerful file archiver often fall back on WinZip. The tool allows users to quickly and easily compress files into archives or read already compressed data. WinZip also offers other useful features, which are available for a fee as soon as you’ve completed your trial period. However, if you don’t want to pay for file compression, there are various free WinZip alternatives to take.

Encrypting ZIP Files: How to Password Protect Your ZIP Files

The ZIP format enables you to combine multiple files or entire directory trees in a compressed container file. This not only saves hard drive space when archiving; ZIP files can also be password protected, if required, to safeguard archived content from third-party access. We show you how to do this.

CRC errors: explanation, causes, and possible solutions

Cyclic redundancy checking (CRC) plays a crucial role in ensuring that the transmission and storage of files happen smoothly. If, however, this process encounters problems, the results can be horrendous, especially when trying to extract and retrieve important data. In this article, you will learn what causes a CRC error, what a CRC error is, and how best to fix it.