To unzip a standard ZIP file, use your computer’s built-in tools: choose Extract All… in Windows, double-click the file in macOS, or run unzip in Ubuntu. The exact steps depend on where you want the files saved and whether the archive is encrypted or in a format your system supports.
Unzip a file in Windows
Use File Explorer
- Find the ZIP archive in File Explorer.
- Right-click it and select Extract All….
- Follow the prompts to choose the destination and extract the contents.
You can also open a zipped folder and drag an individual file or folder to another location. These steps are documented by Microsoft’s Windows instructions.
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Format and encryption support
Windows 11 version 24H2 supports ZIP, RAR, 7z, and TAR through its built-in compression and decompression features. Microsoft says built-in operations on encrypted archive files are not supported; for an encrypted archive, consider a compatible non-Microsoft application. Support can differ by Windows version and archive format.
Use the command line
For ZIP files, PowerShell’s Expand-Archive cmdlet is a documented extraction option. Windows also documents tar for listing and extracting .tar, .tar.gz, .zip, and .7z archives. See Microsoft’s documentation for Expand-Archive and tar for command syntax and options.
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Unzip a file in macOS
In Finder or on the desktop, double-click the .zip file. macOS expands it in the same folder as the archive. This is Apple’s documented method: zip and unzip files and folders on Mac.
Unzip a ZIP file in Ubuntu
The unzip utility can list, test, or extract ZIP archive contents. With no options, it extracts into the current directory and its subdirectories. Use -d to select a destination, or -t to test the archive entries against their stored CRC values.
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- Extract into a chosen folder:
unzip archive.zip -d /path/to/folder - List the archive contents without extracting:
unzip -l archive.zip - Test archive entries:
unzip -t archive.zip
The cited Ubuntu Noble manual documents package version 6.0-28ubuntu4.1, so available options or behavior may differ on other distributions or versions. See the Ubuntu unzip manual.
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If extraction does not work
- Check available storage. The extracted files may require more space than the compressed archive. Apple specifically advises checking that the Mac has enough storage when a ZIP will not open.
- Check the format and your system’s support. Do not assume every built-in tool handles every archive format. Windows 11 version 24H2’s listed formats and limitations are specific to that release.
- Check encryption support. Windows’ built-in archive feature does not support operations on encrypted archive files. Use a compatible tool if the archive is encrypted.
- Consider archive damage. If storage and compatibility are not the issue, the archive may be damaged. Apple suggests asking the sender to create and resend it.
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