Q&A for How to Open a .Zip File Without Winzip

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Question

What is a .Zip file?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

A .Zip file is a way to compress many files into one larger file. These types of files allow you to store lots of data in one place without taking up much memory.

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Question

What do I do of there is no "extract all" option when I right click? I have Windows 7 with Service Pack 1.

Community Answer

I found that I was unable to extract while my zipped file was in a folder. I moved the zipped file to my desktop, clicked on the icon and held it with my right mouse button, and moved it over a bit before releasing. That gave me the option to extract.

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Question

How do I open a zip file on my Samsung Galaxy 111 phone?

Community Answer

To open a zip file on your Android phone, you need to download a file explorer that is able to do so, i.e. ES File Explorer. Navigate to the zip file and press and hold on it to select it. Then press the 3 points on top right corner (or somewhere close by) and select Extract...Choose a path and then navigate to it. There you will find the extracted folder.

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Question

Why is it asking for a password?

Community Answer

Most compression tools provide a password function. If the creator of the archive selected to protect it with a password, you won't be able to use the archive without it. You will then have to ask the creator for the password.

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Question

What if I don't know the name of the zipped folder?

Community Answer

You can open your Downloads folder and find a recently downloaded zipped folder. That should help you identify the folder even without knowing the exact name.

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Question

How do I open a zip file that has a password on it?

Community Answer

You need a compression software such as 7-Zip. Open the zip file with 7-Zip or your desired compression software, and enter the correct password.

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Question

How do I open a .Zip archive in my iPad?

Community Answer

You can tap the arrow next to the zip file and send it as a link, copy the link (and then paste it into a message), and AirDrop it to another iOS device or a Mac, or you can actually extract (unzip) the file's contents. If you unzip a file, you can unzip it in the parent folder or create a new folder.

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Question

Why is my "Extract All" button grayed out?

Community Answer

After using the free trial, it will be set as the default program. Try right clicking on the folder and then 'open with' Windows Explorer.

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Question

Why is the unzipped folder showing as empty?

Community Answer

Either there was nothing in it in the first place, or it was corrupted during the download. Try to download it again. If that fails, you may want to contact the source you got it from.

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Question

Winzip and tells me that my trial has expired. What do I do to get around this?

Community Answer

Once you see your winzip file in the file explorer, right click it. There should be an "open with" option. Hover over this option and click Open with Windows Explorer. Click open and you should see the files. Highlight it all and click the "Extract All" button on the top of the window. Click the extract button and it should be in a new folder. This folder has all of the files in the winzip folder, except it is not a winzip folder.

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