You can open zip files in MAC, Windows, Linux, Android and IOS with specific programs and instructions. You can use a free zip opener or paid alternatives.
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to attach and send multiple files via email. However, you do not have to experience this frustration if you know how to compress and unzip files.
One way to compress heavy files is to use a zip file. By using zip, you will be able to compress photo, audio, video, word docs and PDF docs under one file. Zip files are easier to attach to an email message and send to multiple recipients at the same time.
What’s more, a zip can be either an open file or one secured by a security key/password. In this instance, only those recipients that are privy to the security key or password would be able to gain access to the compressed files or folders contained in the zip.
This post will show you how to open a zip from your email as well as on your Mac, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS devices.
Contents
The Best Programs to open zip files for free
These are the best zip compression software.
- Winzip (It is free trial), for Windows and MAC.
- Hamster (hamster is free) for Windows.
- The unarchiver (the unarchiver is free) for MAC
- Winrar (winrar is free trial), for windows and MAC
- 7-zip (7-zip is free) for Windows, MAC and Linux.
- Betterzip (betterzip is free) for MAC.
- Peazip (peazip is free) for Windows and Linux.
- Zarchiver (zarchiver is free) for Android and IOS.
- Zip viewer (zipviewer is free) for IOS.
- 7 Zipper (7zipper is free) for Android.
- Zipware (zipware is free) for windows.
- Ark (ark is free) for Linux.
- FreeArc (freearc is free beta) for Windows and Linux.
- Haozip (haozip is free) for Windows.
- KGB Archiver (kgb archiver is an open source free zip archiver) for Windows.
- Xarchiver (xarchiver is another great free zip opener).
How to open Zip Files
on Mac
Using Archive Utility.app
The Archive Utility.app is a proprietary program on Mac personal computers that can be used to create as well as open a zip file. Opening a zip using this program is quite easy and can be done in just two steps as follows;
Step #1: Go to the Utility.app and visit the «Context Menu»,
Step #2: Click «Open» to uncompress the compressed file.
Using Unarchiver
You can also make use of «Unarchiver» a free app available for Mac users. With this, you can create as well as open zip files. To extract a zip file using the free to download Unarchiver app, you simply need to click the «Context Menu», then unzip the zip file by clicking on the «Open With» selection to reveal the different apps that you can use to open the zip.
If you have installed Unarchiver, it would appear as one of the different apps that you can use to extract the zip. Click on the Unarchiver and you will be able to use it to open the zip.
On your Windows
There are a number of software applications that you can use to compress files as well as to unzip compressed files. If you want to extract a downloaded zip on PC just follow these 10 simple steps;
- First of all, save the downloaded zip directly to the hard drive of your Windows PC.
- Go to the folder in file explorer which the zip is saved on your Windows, highlight and right click the file.
- Right clicking the downloaded zip in windows explorer will reveal a number of options, click on «Extract All».
- The extraction wizard window appears when the «Extract All» selection is chosen.
- When the extraction wizard is displayed on your monitor, click «Next» and then select a location for saving all the files or folders extracted from the zip.
- Next, choose the «Make a New Folder» selection which may show up in the following format – “IDAutomation.com [FONT NAME]”
- By clicking «Ok», the unzipped files are extracted to this directory – “C\Document Files\IDAutomation.com [FONT NAME].”
- For the extraction of the files and folders in the unzipped file to the directory above to begin, you will have to click «Next».
- Check the «Show Extracted Files» box by clicking on the box.
- With the extraction completed, click «Finish».
It will now be possible for you to open the “IDAutomation.com [FONT NAME]” folder. You can install common files by double-clicking the «install.exe» option when you open the “IDAutomation.com [FONT NAME]” folder.
On your Linux Server with SSH
You can unzip a compressed file on your Linux server with SSH by following these 7 basic steps.
- Open «Putty» or «Terminal».
- Login to the Linux server with SSH.
- Once logged in, visit the location where the compressed zip is saved.
- Extract the zip with the «unzip [filename].zip» command.
- The «unzip [filename].zip» command opens the compressed zip. However, if the process fails, you will be prompted with an error message, such as; «bash: unzip: command not found».
- Where the «unzip [filename].zip» command fails to work, you can apply these two commands (for Debian and Ubuntu);
- «apt-get install unzip for Red Hat Linux/Fedora/CentOS users:»
- «yum install unzip»
Try the «unzip [filename].zip» command again to extract the zip.
On your Android Mobile Device
You can extract a downloaded and saved (on your internal or external storage) zip file on your Android mobile device using WinZip. Here’s how to go about it;
- Go to Google Play Store and on the home screen, look out for the icon depicted as a white colored briefcase having a triangle with multiple colors. Go to your app drawer where this icon is not seen on the home screen.
- Go to the search box located on top of your screen and type «WinZip» to search for the tool. Click the search key or Enter button to search for the extractor tool.
- Choose the compression software tool. This tool is represented by a yellow colored file cabinet placed in a gray colored vice grip.
- Tap on the «Install» button and then you will be prompted by a pop-up window requesting permission to have access to all your files.
- Tap on the «Accept» option button for the installation on your Android OS mobile device. Click on «Open» once the installation process is concluded.
- While you are still on the Google Play Store page, tap the «Open» button to open the WinZip zip and extractor tool. You can also find it in the software application drawer or on the home screen of your Android mobile device.
- As you will scroll on the left and through the WinZip features, tap on the «Start» button which can be seen at the end.
- Then, as you tap «Start», you should see both your internal and external storage folders.
- Choose the file you want to extract from the storage folder in which the file is saved. Just tap on the file to select it and the contents of the file will be displayed on your Android device screen.
- Tap the compressed zip file to open it. Once you open the file, you should be able to view the contents of the zip, provided the contents are saved under a file type that is compatible with your Android device. Where the file has been encrypted, a security key or password would have to be provided before you can have access to the file and view it.
- You can select every file contained under a compressed zip by tapping a square located at the top-right hand corner of the file list. By so doing, a check mark will be added to each of the files under the list.
- Next, tap on the button labelled «unzip» which can be located at the top of your screen.
- Make sure to choose a folder from a preferred location on your Android device (this could be the internal or external storage). Your chosen folder would be where the extracted files will be stored. The stored files can be easily accessed and viewed on your Android mobile device with the use of a supported application or the Android device file manager.
On your Email
Zip files that have been sent to you by email can be opened directly from your email using these 4 easy steps.
Step #1: First click the file or the attachment link. With WinZip, WinRAR or any other software app installed on your device (desktop or mobile), you are prompted with a pop-up window asking if you want to have the file unzipped.
You should then click on either the «Ok» or «Yes» option and the zip will be unzipped by the app. However, in a situation where you have not installed a software that can open a zip file, then you will be prompted with the message «unable to open file» or something similar.
Step #2: You will need to download and install a zip tool.
Step #3: Go to where you can download WinZip. It can be a site and download the zip and extractor tool. After you follow the download instructions and the app has been downloaded to your system, proceed with the installation of the zip program. The installation should not take long, just a few seconds and it is done.
Step #4: Once you have installed WinZip, you can then go back to the zip attachment on your email and click on it to open it using the zip extractor.
On your iOS Mobile Device
If you own an iOS mobile device like an iPad or iPhone, you can attach very heavy files to your email or even create an archived file by using a compressed zip to save loads of space. Below are steps that you can follow in order to compress your heavy files as well as to open a zip file.
Steps to Compress Files on your iOS Mobile Device:
- First of all, launch the files program after which select a location, such as; «iCloud Drive» or «On My iPhone».
- Next, tap the «Select» option to choose the files.
- Go to the lower right-hand corner and tap on the «More» option button.
- Tap on «Compress» to compress the selected files.
- If you selected a single file then a zip having an identical filename will save to the folder. However, if you select more than one file, then a zip archive with the name of «Archive.zip» will save to the folder.
- You can change the name of the folder by touching and holding the zip. You then have to select the «Rename» option in order to rename it.
Steps to uncompress:
- You start by launching the files application. Next, you locate the archive or file that you want to extract or uncompress.
- Tap on the archive or zip after locating it.
- Once you tap on the located zip , you create a folder which then contains all the files. You can change the name by touching and holding it for the «Rename» option to appear. Tap on this «Rename» option and enter the new name for the unzipped folder.
In Conclusion
These are the steps that you can take to open zip files on your email, Windows, Linux server, Mac desktop computer, Android and iOS mobile device. Once again zip format help you to save, store and send heavy files via email to multiple recipients with ease. You don’t have to waste a significant amount of time trying to attach the files before sending them.
Zip format help to ease the frustration that waiting for heavy files to attach to your email can cause. There are also many free zip and extractor tools that you can download to your device. WinZip is one example of a zip and unzip compression software that works on Windows and Android devices.