How to extract a zip archive. How and what to unzip a file, a folder with ZIP files on a computer? How do I open a zipped file? How to zip files

A good guide for unpacking zip and rar archives. How to correctly zip files or extract data. Available about archiving.

What is archiving

Data archiving is the compression of files using special algorithms. Archive is a container containing packed files.

Why you need to compress files:

• to save money. Archiving allows you to compress digital data tens and hundreds of times without losing quality. By the way, archiving does not always involve compression.
• for comfort. If you transfer files over the Internet, it is inconvenient to download the entire folder with all its contents. Imagine transferring hundreds of file attachments.
• for long-term storage of files. Backups are often stored in zip / rar archives: not only because it is more economical, but because of the convenience of the structure: 1 file - 1 backup.

7zip is a good zip and rar unpacker

Let's say you have an archive and need to unpack it. You will need an archiver program. Different tools can be used depending on the format in which the archive is stored. We will cover the popular zip and rar formats.

To unpack the files, we need a 7zip archiver. It is free and available for all platforms. 7zip works very fast. If you have a 64-bit OS and processor architecture, install the correct version and get a performance boost. If the files are large, every percentage matters.

Unpacking the archive can be performed not only inside the archiver, but also from the context menu.

How to unpack an archive. A very simple way

It is very easy to unpack rar or zip. Make sure 7zip is already installed and the 7zip item appears in the context menu. If you don't find it, restart your computer and check again.

How to extract files from an archive

The easiest way to unpack files in zip is through the Explorer context menu. I am using Total Commander.

1. Right-click on the archive. A context menu will appear.
2. Choose 7zip from the menu - Unpack to ...
3. After unpacking the files, a folder with the name of the archive will be created.

This way you can unpack zip archive or any other format supported by 7zip.

How to archive files

Packing files is the reverse of unpacking. It also won't give you any trouble.

Note... Since 7zip does not support rar packaging, we recommend sticking with zip or 7zip. By the way, 7zip outperforms rar in some tests in terms of compression efficiency up to 5-10%. However, before you zip the file, make sure you can unzip it.

To package files,

1. In the context menu, select 7zip - Add to archive ...
2. Specify the archive format, compression level and other parameters. Click OK
3. An archive of the same name will be created in the current folder.

What other tools will be useful when packing / unpacking files

1. File manager . If you need to unzip it, you don't need to install a separate application. Use the built-in tools of the file manager Total Commander. It supports both RAR (unpacking only) and ZIP, for example.
2. The WinRAR desktop archiver - initially only he, as the creator of the compression algorithm - was used to work with RAR. Times change, dozens of new applications have appeared on the market, but WinRAR remains a solid program that handles its native format best.
3. Zip archiver for the phone. An important thing if you downloaded important files to your phone. The archiver for Android will not take up much space, but it will help out at the right time. Download!

An archive is simply one file that has other files compressed to reduce the overall size. If you still sigh when you receive another file in a ZIP, RAR, 7-Zip or any other archive, then this article is for you.

For those who like to watch I post the video:

The easiest way to unpack a zip archive

ZIP archives are regular files with a ".zip" extension. In fact, you don't need any programs to simply unzip files from ZIP, everything is already built into Windows 7/8/10 Explorer. It is enough to right-click on the file and select "Extract all ..." from the menu.

In this case, a dialog box will appear where you will need to specify the path for unpacking the files, well, or leave it by default (current folder). As you can see, for example, I have a file "Checklist.zip" with an archived Word document.

If you leave the "Show extracted files" checkbox enabled, then at the end of the unzipping procedure, another explorer window will open with a new folder open. Or you can not unpack the files at all, but go into the archive as in a regular folder and open the desired file from there.

How to unpack RAR archive

Unfortunately, explorer cannot work with RAR files. For them, you need to install one of the programs that will be discussed. The free 7-Zip program has long established itself as a simple and free archiver. Knows how to unpack files 7z, zip, rar and others.

Using the program is almost as easy, just right-click on the file and select one of the items from the “7-Zip” submenu:

• "Unpack" - to open the extract dialog
• "Unpack here" - to simply extract the files into the current directory
• "Unpack to" Folder name "- extract the files into a folder with the name of the archive (recommended)

The simplest are the second and third options, because no longer require any further action. If you choose the first option, the following dialog will appear:

Here we can specify our path for files. If you select the "No paths" option, then all files from the archive will be one heap, without subfolders. The "Overwrite" parameter is responsible for the mode of overwriting existing files. By default, the program will ask for each such file.

You can check out files not only from the right-click menu. If you double-click on the file, it will open in the 7-Zip program window. To unzip files, simply select them and click the "Extract" button

Alternative free method - Hamster Lite Archiver

I would also like to introduce you to one newfangled program Hamster Lite Archiver. It's even simpler, free and has a modern interface. After its installation, new items also appear in the explorer context menu. To unpack a rar or zip archive, right-click on it and select one of the options:

• Extract files ... - opens a dialog window
• Extract Here - extracts files to the current folder
• Extract to "Folder name" - unzips to a folder

Despite the fact that the context menu items are in English, the program itself is in Russian. Apparently, they have not yet reached the translation of these points, but at the time of reading this article, the situation may already be corrected. The dialogue looks like this:

Universal WinRAR program

The WinRAR program is widely used to work with RAR archives, I only use it. The program is possible. Look for the Russian version (Russian) immediately in the list. Installing WinRAR is very easy, just click “Next” all the time. The program is paid, but with a trial period of 40 days. After the end of the trial period, WinRAR continues to work, but it starts to bother you with a window with a license reminder every time you start it.

To unpack a RAR file, or any other archive, just right-click on the file and select one of the options:

• Extract files ... - the unpacking dialog will open
• Extract to current folder - content will appear in the current folder
• Extract to "folder name" - unzip the content into a new folder with the archive name (recommended)

The simplest options are the second and third. If you choose the first option, a dialog will appear in which you can specify a specific path where your files will be placed and a few more parameters:

Update mode:

• Extract and replace files - if the folder already contains the same files as in the archive, then they will be replaced with new ones
• Extract and update files is the same, but only older files will be replaced
• Update only existing files - only update will take place, other files will not be extracted.

Items "Overwrite mode" are responsible for the program's behavior when replacing existing files.

Using this dialog, you can unpack a damaged or incomplete archive. By default, if a file is in error, it will not be unpacked. If you check the box "Leave damaged files on disk", then the damaged archive will be partially unpacked. If it is video or music, then it can be opened. But, of course, the completeness of the resulting file will depend on the degree of damage to the archive.

You can also unpack files from the WinRAR window. To do this, just select the necessary files and click on any of the buttons: "Extract ..." or "Master".

Also WinRar will help you to organize the backup of your information.

Please note that after installing any of the listed programs, the standard "Extract ..." menu item for ZIP archives may disappear from Windows Explorer.

How to unpack a multivolume archive

Multivolume archives are created to split one huge archive into several smaller ones. In this case, there will be numbers at the end of the file name, e.g. z01, .z02, .z03 or part1, part2, part 3 or 001, 002, 003, etc. To unpack such a multivolume archive, you will need ALL parts, otherwise nothing good will come of it. The unpacking process itself is no different from the usual one.

You just need to unzip the first file from the list in the usual way, and the rest will come up automatically.

If, in addition to the numbered parts, there is also a "regular" archive, then this file must be unpacked, it is the main one.

Please note that multi-volume ZIP archives created by WinRAR can only be unpacked with the same program! Other programs give an error and at least you crack! Conversely, WinRAR does not understand multivolume books created by other programs.

Conclusions:

So, you can extract files from zip, rar, 7z archives using Windows Explorer (ZIP only) or using the free 7-Zip and Hamster Lite Archiver programs, as well as using the paid WinRAR program. Choose a method convenient for yourself and use it to your health!

Imagine how your friends will thank you if you share this information with them on social networks! By the way, with the help of these programs you can also create your own archives.

ZIP Is a format that most operating systems support. the main thing advantage extension is that special archiving programs are not required to unpack it.

RAR- a format that can contain huge amounts of data. the main thing advantage - high compression ratio.

7- ZIP- personal format of the 7-Zip archiver program. the main thing advantage - high compression ratio.

Differences in the process of working with archives of different formats are mainly in speed unpacking / compressing files and their degree compression.

For .zip, the salient features are high speed archiving and versatility. The popularity of electronic documents such as zip is explained by the fact that they can be opened by default in any operating system without any additional utilities. Regarding the speed of working with data, this advantage is noticeable only when compressing a large amount of information with a volume of 1 GB or more. The format provides for the division of archives into disks. The only difference between zip and 7-zip is more high compression ratio data in the second extension.

Collapsing electronic documents in .rar is usually significantly better than the previous two extensions. Unique feature format - a function of multivolume archives, which is much more convenient than splitting them across disks. There are many additions to this data structure that are not in the .zip. For instance, blocking archive, recovery damaged files, addition new and so on. In addition, in .rar you can pack huge amounts of information, while zip only works with documents that do not exceed 2 GB.

What program to use to unpack the .rar and .zip formats

WinRAR -one of the most popular utilities for these extensions. It is the best in terms of speed and information compression. The archiver has an intuitive interface and many settings. WinRAR is a paid program, but you can download a trial version on the Internet and on the official website.

There are two ways to unzip this utility.

In order to quickly extract documents from the archive, you need to right-click on it. In the window that opens, click " Extract to (name)».

After that, the extraction process will begin into a new folder with the same name.

If you need to extract part of documents or tune unpacking, then left-clicking double click on the archive. The corresponding window will pop up:

Here we select the files to extract. After that we click on the corresponding icon. In the next window, select the desired options or leave everything unchanged and click " OK».

When WinRAR exits, a folder with a similar name will be visible next to the archive.

How to unpack 7-zip format

7- ZipIs a popular and convenient program for manipulating archives of different formats. An archiver with simple settings and a high compression ratio is freely available - you can use it is free.

In order to unzip an electronic document of the 7-zip extension, you need to click on it right click mouse, select " 7- Zip", Further " Unpack here».

After that, the files will be placed in the folder where the archive is located. If you select the item " Unpack", Then a dialog will pop up:

Here you can indicate disk space where you want to place documents after unpacking. If the field “ Paths»Choose option« Without paths", Then the program will collect all the files into one bale (without directories). In field " Overwrite»You can select the overwrite mode for existing documents. The default settings make the utility ask you about this feature every time.

Information transmitted over the Internet via e-mail, skype or messenger can "weigh" a lot. For this purpose, data compression is carried out, i.e. there is a process of archiving them. A similar method is used if there is not enough free space on the hard disk or external media.

Compressing files is a simple process, but not all personal computer users know how to unzip a file and retrieve data that will be used for work. Unzipping involves the use of special programs that help "fetch" text documents, tables, photos, audio and video files from a compressed folder.

How to quickly and easily unpack a ZIP archive?

Users use archiving services to create zip files. Such folders are easy to send by mail, transfer via other means of communication via the Internet.

Several programs are used to work with such an archive, the most popular of which are:

• Explorer built into the Windows 7 operating system.
• File manager Total Commander.

A file unpacker that works with zip-archive - it is already built into the explorer, but it should be borne in mind that this program does not read other formats. The procedure for unpacking a zip archive looks like this:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Find there an archive to be unzipped.
3. Click on the archive with the right mouse button.
4. A menu will drop out, in which there is an item "Extract ...".
5. Click on the desired function.

The unpacker of the archive will appear on the screen, which will extract the files. The decompression time depends on the amount of information compressed in the zip-archive.

You can also use Total Commander, which copes well with both zip-files and other archivers. Having opened the file manager, the user can copy the archive there and open it with the enter key. The contents of the archive are copied to a folder that is created in advance or moved to another location on the hard disk.

You can unpack zip files in Total Commander using the alt + f9 key combination. By placing the cursor on the archive in one window, and in the second window, specify the location where the unzipped files will be moved. By pressing alt + f9, the user has to wait a few minutes to get the desired files.

Unzipping a RAR archive

The process of extracting compressed data is also associated with the use of an application such as WinRAR, created specifically for working with RAR archivers. Most of the PC users use this service to compress and decompress, since it is easy to install, easy to use and does an excellent job with the tasks. WinRAR is downloaded on the Internet, the Russian language is selected in the settings and run on the computer.

Unzipping files using WinRAR follows one of the following methods:

• On the archive, right-click the program and select "Extract files". A window will appear in which the unpacking will be reflected. Next, the path is indicated where the data will be moved after unpacking.
• The second method involves choosing the place where the user wants to send the received information - to the current folder or to the folder name.

WinRAR copes well with corrupted archives. Just keep in mind that the quality of unpacking directly depends on how badly damaged the archive itself or the files in it.

Using 7-ZIP

If you don't want to pay for using the archiver, then users use the 7-Zip service. Finding this program on the Internet is not difficult, you just need to carefully select sites with high-quality and proven software.

The downloaded file is launched by the user to install the program on the computer. The 7-zip File Manager symbol will appear on the desktop after installation. A user who wants to get their files from a compressed folder will have to perform a few simple steps:

1. Open the program.
2. Drag the archive there or go to the "Users" folder, select the required user, and from there go to the "Desktop" park.
3. Double-click on the archive with the left mouse button to open the archive.
4. Files are copied to drag and drop, or extracted via the Check Out option.
5. A new window will open where a button with three dots is selected.
6. A list with folders will appear, find the one with which the program will work, and then click "OK".
7. Press the "OK" button again to start unpacking the archive.

There is also an easier way to unpack the archive via 7-Zip. After selecting the folder, click "Unpack to ..", which automatically creates a folder with the name of the archive in the folder where the archive was located. The unpacked files will be moved there.

Multivolume archive: what to consider?

Compression of information into several volumes occurs when the user must transfer a large amount of information. In this case, the files are divided into several small archives, denoted by letters and numbers, or just numbers.

Unpacking involves extracting all parts of the archive, otherwise the information will not be received.

The unzipping process is very simple:

• A program is selected that helps to get information.
• Then the first archive is unpacked in the usual way, other parts are pulled up automatically.

Only this program is allowed to get files created by WinRAR. The rest of the archivers cannot cope and will give an error. The same goes for ZIP multi-volume editions. They are retrieved only by programs working with archives of this type of permission.

Alternative way

Hamster Lite Archiver is a free and simple application capable of handling the archive without any problems. The utility is developed taking into account new computer technologies and versions of Windows, therefore it has an intuitive interface. Suitable for working with .zip and .RAR archives. Having downloaded it to a computer, the user must install the program.

Unpacking goes along one of the selected paths, when the archive is done through selection and right-clicking:

1. A new window opens when you select the "Extract files" function.
2. The files are extracted to the current folder when "Extract Here" is selected.
3. The data is unpacked to a folder when the user decides to click “Extract to Folder Name”.

Choosing a way to "fish out" information from compressed formats, you need to consider which archiver created the archive, how much information is in it. It is also taken into account whether a one-volume or multi-volume archive is in front of the user, whether it is damaged or not. All these factors affect the speed of file extraction and the completeness of the information retrieved.

The zip format is an archive, that is, a file that contains various information, it is relevant, since in such a reduced form the necessary data takes up less space. But in order to get to them, you still need to be able to unpack archived information, transforming them into a familiar "human" form. How to unzip a zip file to a computer will be discussed.

Basically, archiving is necessary when the work involves a large volume of files to send. It makes no sense to send them separately, and then compression of information into the archive comes to the rescue. With insufficient PC memory, you can also archive documents that are not used very often - such savings are justified when the hard disk is full.

Based on the fact that some archiver programs have the function of sealing, that is, the use of a secret encoding for archived data, for many it is important in order to protect information.

There are several ways to extract the necessary information:

• using standard OS tools;
• using the 7-Zip program;
• via WinRAR.

There are other equally high-quality archiver applications, but the listed options are the most common.

Unpacking with Windows Explorer

To open files that have a zip extension, most often, you do not need to use third-party extraction programs. The operating system explorer already has this feature built in. Therefore, unpacking occurs automatically, in the list of actions, just click "extract" to start this process.

In a special window of the interface, you will need to specify the folder where the files are to be placed, of course, it can be the same folder. Such archives can contain different information - images, Word documents, texts in the universal PDF format.

Leaving the "show files" checkbox checked, after extraction you can see a window with a new, already open folder. It's even easier without unpacking, just go into the archive like regular folders and open the required file.

Using WinRAR Application

The program is familiar to many, as it is often included in the operating system software package. The application is used to archive and open documents in RAR and ZIP format. Even if it is not present on the PC, it can be downloaded from the developer's site. It is easy to install, and the manufacturer provides a free maintenance period of 40 days. Then you will be prompted to pay for the license, so you need to be prepared for the fact that a reminder about the paid version will be displayed.

You can open the necessary files in three ways, for this they choose:

• extraction with the opening of the negotiation window;
• opening to the current folder;
• you can extract content to a specific location.

If we apply the first option, then there is the possibility of replacing some information in the update mode. This means that you can extract files and update old ones, just update existing information and even unpack the archive if it is damaged.

In principle, any config with errors cannot be extracted, but there is one subtlety - if you check "leave damaged files" in the list of tasks, then unpacking will occur. Thus, it is possible to open some photos, videos, multimedia files, while, of course, you need to understand that they will not be provided in their original form.

If these steps are not necessary, and you have no idea how to unzip the zip file to your computer, it is better to use the second and third options. The process itself lasts only a few minutes, of course, depending on the size of the archive.

7-Zip: easy extraction option

You can unpack the zip archive using another method. For this there is a free program 7-Zip, moreover, it is relevant for files in rar and 7z formats, with which the explorer does not work. The app is easy to download and is easy to install and maintain.

You just need to click on the archive and mark one of the standard actions:

• unpacking with a dialog box;
• to the present directory;
• to any selected folder, immediately indicating the name of the archived information.

The easiest way to do the extraction is with the last two options. If you bypass the menu, then you just need to double-click on the file - it will open and in the application window you will have to click on extract.

Alternative methods for unpacking a zip archive

Today there are many other software that can help you unpack a zip archive. Files with such extensions can be processed by many programs, and all actions associated with this, as a rule, are of the same type:

1. It is required to launch the application and then open the archive. Usually, after that a list of stored documents opens.
2. It remains to select the desired one, mark the extraction path, and then confirm your actions.

To do this, you can use the following software:

• HaoZip;
• IZArc;
• PeaZip;
• Hamster Lite Archiver;
• Hamster Free ZIP Archiver.

These are free, mostly russified archivers that perfectly replace WinRAR. They work with most operating systems and support a large number of file formats.

You can also unpack using file managers, such as Total Commander or FAR Manager, but it should be noted that this is a more complicated method than those listed earlier.

As for multivolume archives, the mechanism for extracting them is similar to opening a single file, and after unzipping the first volume, all other parts will be automatically subjected to this process.

In fact, there is no such problem how to unzip a zip file to a computer. If it is not possible to use Explorer, you can always use the available applications. It is not difficult to do this, and everyone can choose the option that is most convenient for themselves - paid or free.