Extracting Your .zip File:

Windows 7:

  1. In Windows 7, navigate to the zipped (compressed) file you want to Unzip, and right-click it.
  2. On the menu that pops up, roll your mouse over Open with, then click Windows Explorer.
         Win7 Explorer compressed file
  3. You will then see the contents of the zip file. Click the file and drop it on your desktop, or another file location. The contents of the file will be unzipped, and you can then use it as needed.
         Uncompressing a file in Windows 7 explorer.

Windows 10: 

Windows 10 supports zip natively, which means that you can just double-click the zipped folder to access its content — and open files. However, you always want to extract all the compressed files before using them.

If you don't unzip the files, you won't be able to edit and save the new content in the same document, and if you're trying to install a piece of software, the installation process won't start.

There are at least two ways to extract files from a zipped folder:

Use the Extract All wizard

To extract all the files from a zipped folder, do the following:

  1. Right-click the compressed (zipped) folder.
  2. Select Extract All from the context menu.
     
  3. By default, the compressed files will extract in the same location as the zipped folder, but you can click the Browse button to select an alternative location.
  4. Check the Show extracted files when complete option.
     
  5. Click Extract.

Using the File Explorer

To extract all or individual files from a zipped folder, do the following:

  1. Double-click the compressed (zipped) folder.
  2. Select the file or files you want to extract.
  3. Right-click your selection and click Cut.
     
  4. Navigate to the location you want to unzip the files to.
  5. Right-click and select Paste.
     

Alternatively, inside the zipped folder, you can select the items you want, and on the Extract tab, select the location to extract the files. If the location isn't listed, click the More button, and then click the Choose location button to find the correct folder.

Mac Computers:

Unzipping a file or folder couldn't be easier. Double-click the zip file, and the file or folder decompressed in the same folder as the compressed file.

If the item you are decompressing contains a single file, the new decompressed item has the same name as the original file.

If a file with the same name is already present in the current folder, the decompressed file has a number appended to its name.

When a zip file contains multiple items, the unzipped files are stored in a folder that has the same name as the zip file. For example, if you unzip a file called Archive.zip, the files are placed in a folder called Archive. This folder is located in the same folder as the Archive.zip file. If the folder already contains a folder called Archive, a number is appended to the new folder, such as Archive 2.