How can unzip a file

Combine several files into a single zipped folder to more easily share a group of files. 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. 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. 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.

Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Double-click the ZIP file. This displays the contents in a File Explorer window.

Click Extract all. It's the icon that looks like a folder with a zipper and four blue squares near the top of the window. Check the box next to "Show extracted files when complete. This makes it so you'll be taken to the unzipped files as soon as they are unzipped.

Select a folder to unzip to. If you want to place the unzipped files in a location other than the current folder in which the ZIP folder is stored, do the following: Click Browse Click the name of the folder in which you want to store the unzipped folder.

Click Select Folder. It's at the bottom of the window. Your ZIP file's contents will extract to an unzipped folder in the selected location.

Now you can work with the files inside the folder. Method 2. Copy the ZIP folder to a different location optional. When you unzip a file, the contents will be extracted to the same folder as the ZIP file. If you want to extract the contents somewhere else, you can move ZIP file before unzipping. Why do I need to unzip files? Open the compressed file by navigating to the folder using the WinZip Files pane and double clicking on the compressed file. If you only want to unzip some of the files, click on a file in the zip file pane and then check the box to unzip the files or unzip a folder by selecting the checkbox next to it.

Put all the files you want to zip in the same location, like the same folder. Select all the files. An easy way to do this is to drag a selection box around them with the mouse pointer, or hold down Ctrl as you click each one. In the drop-down menu, choose Send to and then click Compressed zipped folder. A new zip file will appear in the same folder.

You can identify a zip file visually because the icon has a zipper on it. There are two ways to unzip files, depending on whether you want to extract all the ZIP file's contents, or just a specific file.

Right-click the ZIP file. In the drop-down menu, click "Extract All…" The zip wizard will appear. If you want to unzip the files to a different folder, click "Browse…" and choose a location. Click "Extract" and the files will be unzipped and copied to the folder you chose. Double-click the ZIP file you want to unzip.