How to properly unzip a zip file. How can I unpack a WinRAR archive? Using self-extracting archives
A ZIP archive is an ordinary file in which other files are stored. Archives are often used to reduce the total size of all files in total. If this is your first time encountering such archives, then you probably have a question about how to unpack this archive.
Below we will look at two methods that will allow you to unzip a ZIP archive.
Method 1. Using standard Windows tools
For that matter, to extract files from an archive, users do not necessarily need to install third-party programs, because this procedure can be quite successfully performed using standard means Windows.
To do this, simply right-click on the ZIP archive and go to "Extract All" .
A new window will appear on the screen in which you need to specify the path on the computer where the extracted files will be saved. After that, all you have to do is press the button "Extract" to begin the unpacking process.
After a few moments, you can find the unpacked files in the folder you specified.
In addition, you can unzip files in much more in a simple way: Just double-click on the archive with the left mouse button, after which the files it contains will open as in a regular folder.
Method 2. Using WinRAR program
WinRAR is the most popular program for unpacking various archive formats. The program has a Russian-language interface and all the basic functions that allow you to work with archives, i.e. you can both unpack and create archives. In addition, through this program, if necessary, you can.
You can download the program for free using the link at the end of the article. Having completed the simple installation procedure, all archives by default can be opened using this program.
To unpack an existing archive, just right-click on it and go to "Extract to files" . Also, with the help of this program you can, which, in fact, are also archives.
Specify the folder where the files will be extracted and click the button "OK" . After this, the program will begin unzipping, which depends on the number and size of files.
In addition, as in the previous method, you can double-click on the archive icon with the left mouse button, after which the same WinRAR window will open.
What do we end up with? Standard using Windows you can easily unpack ZIP archives, but with RAR archives without third party programs no longer possible. WinRAR, in addition to supporting all known archives, allows you to pack files into an archive, and even set a password for the archive. But what method to use to extract files from a ZIP archive is up to you.
Download WinRAR for free
Download the program from the official website
Every private Windows user may encounter a “strange” ZIP file. There is no need to be scared - this is just an archive that contains this or that information. But a reasonable question arises regarding how to unzip this format on the computer. We invite you to familiarize yourself with all the nuances associated with this procedure.
Why do we need ZIP archives at all?
Archiving solves two important problems:
- Significant reduction in file size.
- A large amount of information fits into one archive.
Archiving is used by people who often deal with a large number of files and their transfer. Agree, it is much more convenient to send one archive with documents than to attach each one separately.
Archiving is also used by those who do not have enough space on their hard drive and have nothing left to delete. By archiving necessary but infrequently used files, you can quickly solve the problem of low memory.
It is worth noting that this procedure is often used to protect data. Most archiving programs have a password function that will block access to the packed information.
But let's assume that you have never resorted to archiving files, and a ZIP archive has arrived on your computer, the contents of which are of great interest to you.
How to unpack the archive?
As a rule, the same archiver programs are used to extract files from archives. It is not at all necessary to search specifically for the software with which the archive was created. So, you can quickly open the ZIP format:
- using standard Windows tools;
- WinRAR;
- 7-Zip.
There are many other high-quality archiver programs, but we will focus on the above options as the most popular among Windows users.
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Standard OS tools
As a rule, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 have a standard ability to extract ZIP files. To begin with, you can simply double-click and try to open the archive to view its contents. A normal window should appear operating system, where you will see all the data packed into a ZIP archive. To extract, click the corresponding button in the top panel.
Next, a window will open where you need to select a location where all files will be extracted. By default, the directory where the archive itself is located is selected. If you check the box next to “Show extracted files”, then at the end of the process the directory with the extracted data will open. Click on “Extract” and wait for the operation to complete. If there is a large amount of data, which also weighs a lot, the process may take a long time.
You can skip the preview. Just hover your cursor over required file, right-click on the mouse and select “Extract All”. And then you know what to do.
WinRAR program
The WinRAR archiver is perhaps the most famous tool for working with ZIP and RAR formats. The latter format is also one of the types of file archiving. It often happens that WinRAR is already included in your operating system software. Otherwise, you will have to download it from the official website, although you can use it for free only during the trial period. If you disobey our advice and search on third-party resources, then there is a risk of stumbling upon a hacked version of this program that does not require payment.
After WinRAR installations all files in ZIP format must be associated with the program and look like this:
Now you can double-click the desired archive and view its contents.
At the top you can easily find the “Extract” button. The “Path and Extraction Options” window will open, where you can select the location where you want to extract everything, and whether you need to delete the archive at the end. By analogy with the previous case, by default everything is extracted to the archive directory.
It is allowed to do without preliminary viewing. To do this, right-click on the ZIP archive and select one of 3 extraction options.
The “Extract Files” function will open a familiar window. If you click on “Extract to current folder”, the entire contents of the archive will be unpacked in the same place where it is located. By clicking on the “Extract to...” option, you will receive a directory with information, as in the case of using standard Windows tools.
It is worth noting that WinRAR is perfect for use on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
Receiving files by email, downloading from the Internet, local network, from a torrent tracker, we often find documents archived, that is, compressed, placed in an archive. Archiving allows you not only to save space on your hard drive, but also to combine several documents into one file, which greatly simplifies the process of sending by e-mail. You don’t have to, for example, attach all the photographs separately and spend a lot of time on this, but it will be enough to attach only one document to the letter - the archive. For this reason, most data on the Internet is stored in archives. As a rule, the extension of such files can be rar, zip, 7z. However, when you have downloaded such a file, the question arises of how to unzip the file and return it to its original form. This is the question we will now try to answer.
To open the archive, you will have to use an archiver program. The most popular archivers today are WinRaR, WinZip and 7 Zip. The WinRaR program is paid, but you can download 7 Zip for free from the site. Each archiver can open archives of different resolutions.
First, you need to check whether the archiver is installed on your computer. To do this, right-click on any document. In the menu that appears you should have the line “Winrar”, “7 Zip” or “Add to archive”. If none of the options are available, then first you will have to download the program and install it on your computer.
program 7Zip
To open the archive, you need to right-click on it and select “7 Zip” in the line. Then select “Unpack”, “Unpack to...” or “Unpack here”. In order for the archive to be unpacked into the same folder where it is stored, you must select the “Unpack here” option. When you select “Extract to...” you will be prompted to select a folder for the source document.
How to unzip a file with a programWinRaR
Now we will learn how to unzip files with another program - WinRaR. In principle, this is not at all necessary in order to view the files contained in the archive. But we will look at this later.
Let's answer the question of how to unzip rar file, zip. You need to right-click on the archive file. In the menu that appears, we are interested in two items. If we select "Extract to current folder", then the source documents will appear in the same folder where the archive itself is stored. We can also unzip the files to another folder. To do this, select “Extract to...”. A window will appear in which we can select the location of the extracted documents.
Opening an archive
For example, you have an archive and you need to view its contents before unzipping it. To do this, if you have an archiver program, just double-click on the archive with the left mouse button. You can view which files have been added to the archive and open them if necessary. Moreover, it also solves the problem of how to unzip the file. When you open an archive with WinRaR, you will see not only the files themselves, but also a menu in which there is an “Extract” item. That is, you can also unzip the archive into the current folder or any other folder on your computer. This is also possible with the 7 Zip program.
Now you know how to unzip zip file, rar or 7z. I hope that knowing the features of archiving will help you in your work and save not only space on your computer’s disks, but also your time, because sending archives by mail and sharing them with friends is much easier and faster. Now you can send entire photo albums anywhere in the world with just one click. Agree that such advantages deserve attention. Moreover, you can download the 7 Zip archiver completely free, and its functionality is not inferior to the paid WinRaR.
