All kinds of formats used for archival data, since their first birth, have gained unprecedented popularity among a huge number of users, since such data is compressed (packed) and takes up much less space on a hard disk or removable media than their originals. The ZIP format is one of the first among all those that have been actively used to compress files and folders.
But how to unzip a ZIP file on a computer to extract all the necessary information from it? To do this, you can use several universal tools, among which stand out the funds of Windows operating systems of all the latest generations, and third-party archiver programs, and even some file managers. Let us dwell on each toolkit in as much detail as possible, and at the same time find out what actions can be taken if unzipping is impossible due to the installation of password protection on the file or if it is damaged.
How to unzip a zip file on a computer using standard Windows tools?
Previously, in operating systems developed by Microsoft Corporation, third-party applications like WinZIP had to be used to work with packed data, but over time they acquired their own tools for extracting data in the form of tools built into the OS environment. True, they work somewhat unusual, because if we talk about how to unzip a ZIP file on a computer without using third-party applications, users are sometimes lost in the search for an answer.
This is due to the fact that when you double-click on the archive in the same "Explorer", its contents are not extracted to the location you want and simply opens to view the contents in a separate directory. There are two ways to do this.
In the simplest case, from the opened directory, you can simply copy the enclosed packed objects to another directory.
If you don’t like this option, you can use the PCM menu item “Extract all ...”, after which you can either unpack the contents into the default directory or specify a different location.
The most popular archiver programs and utilities
Despite the fact that Windows has a built-in tool for working with archives, many users find them very inconvenient to use, preferring third-party software products, among which, without a doubt, the leaders are the following applications:
- WinZIP
- Winrar.
- 7-zip and some others.
Among all the software focused on working with archived data, the file manager Total Commander, which was created in the image and likeness of “Norton Commander” in due time, is especially noteworthy. When using it, as well as when performing data extraction using the latest generation of Windows, additional programs are not needed, because it already has a built-in ZIP archiver pkzip.exe. However, all the actions performed do not differ from those that are performed in the standard "Explorer".
Nuances of unpacking ZIP files in archivers
Most users believe that unpacking any kind of archive in a program specially designed for this will not be difficult. Everything seems to be simple, but some nuances still need to be taken into account.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the establishment of associations, because if a certain extension is not used for the program used, each time you have to use the file open to select the desired application.
In addition, all popular utilities implement their own commands in the Explorer context menus, so you can use the quick extraction to the current folder where the archive itself is located, or set your own location.
When you open the file by double-clicking in the "Explorer" or in the running unpacking utility, you will be prompted to extract the data into a new directory, the name of which exactly matches the name of the archive file. To prevent this from happening, you can either set a different directory or change the directory name.
Actions with password protected archives and encrypted data
How to unzip a ZIP file on a computer is a little understandable. But what if the archive is password protected or the data in it is encrypted? Not everyone knows how to unzip a ZIP file on a computer in this situation. If you downloaded content from an open source on the Internet, then you can usually get passwords for it on the site itself.
But they are needed solely for the extraction process, since with the usual opening of the archive its contents can be viewed.
If there is no password, you will have to use, so to speak, pirate brute force methods. As one of the most effective means of cracking passwords to Brut-force archives, many experts call the Advanced Archive Password Recovery application. The speed of selecting the right combination will directly depend on the size of the file being searched, and on the complexity of the password.
As for encryption, it is best to extract such data using the exact archiver with which it was created. For example, if the encryption during packaging was redneck in the 7-Zip application, it may not be possible to decrypt the contents of the archive in WinRAR. In other words, you will additionally have to install the original archiver, especially since the encryption algorithm can differ significantly from that supported by the non-native packer.
What to do if errors occur when unzipping?
Now it’s worth saying a few words about how to unzip a ZIP file on a computer if it was damaged or not fully downloaded (CRC errors). To "treat" such objects, you can use special tools of the archiver programs themselves.
For example, WinRAR has an archive recovery tool for this, after which you need to specify under which format the damaged archive will be considered (RAR or ZIP).
If the ZIP file does not open on the computer even after that, if errors occur, you can use a setting that prevents the unzipped files from being deleted from the disk. Finally, you can use the unpacking of nested objects one at a time, saving them in a given location. It is possible that only not very important files and directories will be damaged, and the information you need will be unpacked in full.
Which archiver to prefer in work?
So, how to unzip the ZIP file on the computer, figured out. The only question that remains unclear is the preference for one or another software that is best used for working with archived data. Judging by the reviews of experts, almost all programs in this area are almost equivalent to each other. But WinRAR seems more preferable in terms of recovering damaged data, and 7-Zip - in terms of creating the most protected archives. Unfortunately, Windows tools and file managers with their own archivers in this regard lose out very much, and you can use them only if the above applications are not at hand.