So you just downloaded a .zip file, and now you’re wondering how to open it, right?
Googling about the issue reveals programs like WinZip that can do the job. But what if we tell you that you don’t need such programs to unzip files from .zip folders?
That’s right — if you have downloaded WinZip (or any other .zip file extraction program), by the end of this tutorial it will be useless. If not, then you don’t need to, because we’re going to explore how to extract .zip folders without 3rd party software. Let’s start!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Unzip a File Without WinZip?
Of course, you can. The Windows File Explorer and the file system on macOS both come with their own capabilities to extract files from a compressed folder.
Can Google Drive Open Zip Files?
No. Google Drive doesn’t include the functionality to extract or open Zip files and folders by default.
But there are 3rd-party Google Drive integrations available that make extraction of zip folders inside the Drive itself.
How safe those 3rd-party apps are from the perspective of privacy, we can’t say.
How to Unzip Compressed Folders on Windows
To unzip a file on a Mac, simply double-click on the zipped file, and a new folder with the same name as the zipped file will be created in the same location. Then, you can drag the unzipped files out of the folder to use them as needed.
Find the compressed folder from which you wish to extract (unzip) files or folders, and then carry out one of the following actions.
To unzip a single file or folder:
- Open the zipped folder;
- Select the file you want to extract;
- Copy the file either by right-clicking on it and choosing “Copy” or by hitting Ctrl+V on your keyboard;
- Navigate to a new folder where you want to extract the file;
- Paste the file either by hitting Ctrl+V on the keyboard or by right-clicking in the folder and selecting “Paste”.
To unzip the whole folder:
- Select the zipped folder and right-click on it;
- Choose “Extract All”;
- Follow the on-screen instructions to unzip all the contents inside zipped folder.
How to Unzip Compressed Folders on Mac
Things are even simpler when it comes to Mac. On your Mac, double-click the .zip file.
The unzipped item(s) will be extracted to the same folder as the .zip file. If you want to, you can delete the .zip file after that.
Similar Tutorials to Check Out
- How to Unzip tar.gz Files: Zip files may be the most common for compressing folders, but there are other compression formats too. Tar.gz is one of them, and you may receive compressed folders in this format too. This tutorial explains how to unzip tar.gz files and extract the content from them.
- How to Speed Up Downloads: When downloading large zip files, download speed is a crucial factor. Slow speeds and a dodgy internet connection may corrupt the zip file you’re downloading, so this tutorial explains how to speed up your downloads in such a situation.
- How to Download From Wistia: Wistia is a video creation and hosting platform similar to YouTube, but with more business-centric features. This tutorial explains how can you download videos hosted on Wistia.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to extract files from compressed .zip folders.
Our computers already come with the ability to unzip files nowadays, so we don’t need any 3rd party application for that.
Share your feedback on this short guide in the comments, and if it helped you then share it on your social media profiles too.
