What Does A Zip File Look Like

Often times zip files are zipped for a reason, to keep a group of files together. Now I have cleints emailing me about why they can see the files within the zip, but can't actually open them. I have to explain that they need to find the no so obvious downlaod button and download it all first. I does them no good to see inside of it. Zipped files (known by many names, see the table to the right, but in this document called 'zipped files') are one or more files on a computer disk that have been combined into a single file in a space-efficient manner to reduce their total file size. This is very useful when disk space is limited or when people download files.

7-Zip is open source software .. means it is free. It provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip. It packs/unpacks 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, and TAR. Unpacking only: RAR, CAB, ISO, ARJ, LZH, CHM, MSI, WIM, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB and NSIS.

You can download 7 zip from here: http://www.7-zip.org/

2 Steps total

Step 1: Adding files into an archive (e.g., ZIP):

1. Install 7-Zip

2. Open Windows Explorer. Press + keys simultaneously to bring up a Run window.

3. Should i buy skyrim special edition. Type in 'explorer' and press the key.

4. A Windows Explorer window will appear, browse to the location of your files.

5. Select the files you want to add to the archive file. If they are all in a row, select the first file with a Left mouse click, press the key and then select the last file with a Left mouse click. All files should now be highlighted. Or, if your files are scattered, you can hold down the key and left click on each file until all are selected.

6. Once all files are selected, right-click over one of the selected files and a context sensitive menu will appear.

7. On this menu, you need to select '7-Zip' and then 'Add to 'xxxx.zip' (the xxxx will be whatever directory these files are located within. (see attached graphic '7-Zip 1.jpg').

8. 7-Zip will should automatically create the file listed in Step 7 above.

Step 2: E-mailing your archive

1. Right-click on the new ZIP file and select 'Send To' and then 'Mail Recipient.'

2. An e-mail should now open with the ZIP as an attachment.

3. Fill in the recipient's e-mail address and any necessary text and then click 'Send.'

1 Comment

• Anaheim
  Andrew B Nov 21, 2008 at 04:48pm

  A quicker way to start Windows Explorer is to press + , cutting some steps out of this how-to. :-)

A zip file is said to be a compressed version of a large sized folder or file. It holds upon the same files, yet, boxed up to occupy less space in the saved internal or external storage. Small-sized files can be instantly shared using cloud storage and email, which is why people tend to attach and send files in .zip format. Accessing the files present within the zip file shall eventually look like unlocking a package, in which you need to open up the box and extract out the contents. Such .zip saved files can be opened on both Mac and Windows computers by following through the methods that are mentioned below.

Steps to Open Zip File in Windows

Method 1: Using Winzip

Winzip is a popular software application that has been solely created to easily extract the files from a .zip saved file. If you are searching for the right way to open the zip file in Windows 7 operating system, then you need to download ‘WinRAR' software at first. WinRAR application can also be installed on Windows 10 running computer system as well. All you need to do is to visit the official site of WinRAR and download their recently updated software version legally. After installing WinRAR, follow up on the below-mentioned steps to open the zip file.

1. Make a right-click upon the zip file and then either select ‘Extract files' or ‘Extract Here' as per the convenient place you need to unzip the ZIP file.
2. If you tend to select ‘Extract Files', then a pop-up window shall appear on your screen requesting the place to store the contents from the zip file.
3. After selecting the desired drive, you need to click upon the ‘OK' button.

Once the process gets completed, the extracted files shall be found to access permanently on the chosen drive folder. If you have a Backup file with BAK extension then you can open BAK file manually by changing the extension or by using the default software.

Method 2: Open the zip file in Windows 10

If your computer or laptop is said to be running on the Windows 10 operating system, then you need to follow the below-mentioned guide to swiftly extract the compressed files from a zip file without losing its contents.

How To Zip A Folder

1. Visit the zip file location that you need to open up.
2. Double-click upon the ZIP file to open it up through the File Explorer window.
3. Make a click upon the ‘Extract' tab that can be found on the top part of the window.
4. A toolbar shall appear once you click the ‘Extract' tab.
5. From the showcased toolbar, select ‘Extract All' to open up a pop-up window.
6. The loaded new window shall hold onto an ‘Extract' button that can be found on the bottom part of the toolbar. The folder will start extracting the files within the folder itself. (You can even select the ‘Browse' button and navigate a different drive to save the extracted files from the ZIP folder).
   

The extracted ZIP folder shall be named in default following the ZIP file and it can be double-clicked to access the files present within them. You can also change the name of the extracted ZIP folder while selecting the drive to save them as mentioned in the previous step.

Steps to Open ZIP file in Mac

1. Navigate to the drive that has the compressed ZIP file.
2. Make a double-click using the mouse to let the ZIP file to automatically begin extracting the files and folders stored in them.
3. You need to wait until the extracting process gets finished. It can take a few seconds or a few minutes depends upon the original size of the files and folders that are compressed using the ZIP file format.

The extracted files and folders shall store in default into a folder named following the ZIP file. Once all the files are extracted out of the ZIP file, you can access them conveniently.

Where Are My Zip Files

Steps to Open ZIP file using an iPhone

Android sdk osx. If you are making use of Apple devices like the iPhone and iPad, then you need to download an application from the App store to safely unzip and access the files in the first place. The app name is ‘iZip' and is said to be a free app as well. Follow up on the upcoming steps to find and install the iZip app on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Open up ‘App Store', the official store of Apple to browse through the world of apps.
2. Tap upon the ‘Search' button that can be found on the bottom part of the screen.
3. Now tap within the search bar that appears on the top part of the screen and then type ‘iZip' within it.
4. Tap the ‘Search' button to load the results.
5. From the loaded results, select the ‘iZip' app.
6. Tap upon ‘GET' button.
7. You will be prompted to either enter your Touch ID or Face ID, as per the security norms that have been saved previously on your Apple device to safely download apps from the App Store

Wait until the download and installation process gets completed on its own.

The need to move the ZIP file within the iZip folder

The ZIP files that are stored on your iPhone or iPad cannot be directly opened using the iZip app. You need to move the desired ZIP file within the iZip folder by following the upcoming steps one by one. Icloud contact to android phone.

1. Open the ‘Files' app that is present in default in your iPhone or iPad.
2. Navigate to the folder that has the ZIP file in them.
3. Tap upon the zip file for more than one second and then release them to let a small pop-up menu appear.
4. Select ‘Copy' from the loaded menu.
5. Now, navigate towards the iZip folder by tapping upon the ‘Browse' button and then ‘On My iPhone' button.
6. From the loaded folder menu, select iZip.
7. Find a blank space within the folder and then tap in it for a second or so and then release the finger to let a menu appear on the screen.
8. Tap upon ‘Paste' to transfer a copy of the previously selected zip file to the iZip folder.
9. Open up the downloaded and installed iZip app that can be found on the home screen.
10. Select the ‘Files' tab that can be found on the top region of the loaded iZip application's main page. This action will open up the iZip folder that holds upon the previously copy-pasted zip file.
11. You need to manually select the ZIP file from the loaded iZip folder.
12. Once the file has been loaded a menu shall appear prompting you to extract files present within them. Select ‘OK' to let the iZip app to start with the extraction procedure.
13. Wait for few seconds until the extraction process gets completed. The extracted files shall be saved into a folder that is named following the ZIP file that you have earlier selected for the extraction process.
    

The unzipped files can be accessed by visiting the Folder app on your iPhone or iPad.

Opening the ZIP file using an Android device

If you are frequently using a mobile device or a tablet that is said to be running on Android, then you need to exactly follow the below-mentioned steps to safely extract and open up files that are present within a ZIP file.

ES File Explorer is one popular unzipping android mobile application that can be vitally used to access any kind of ZIP saved files.

1. Open up the Google Play Store in your android running tablet or mobile device.
2. Tap upon the Search bar.
3. You need to type ‘ES file' within the search bar.
4. Click upon the Search button to load the desired app.
5. From the loaded search results, select ‘ES File Explorer'.
6. Tap the ‘Install' button to start installing the app to the android device.
7. Wait for few seconds until the download and installation process gets completed. You can open up the ES File Explorer either by tapping the ‘OPEN' button present within the installed page in Google Play Store or browse through the App Drawer and then tap the app.
   
8. While the ES File Explorer loads for the first time in your Android mobile phone or tablet, you need to bypass the introductory screen that notifies about the app and its real day uses.
9. From the loaded home screen of the ES File Explorer app, tap upon the ‘Download' folder and then navigate to the desired internal or external storage space that has the ZIP file stored in them.
10. Once you have found the ZIP file, you need to make a long-press upon it until a box mark appears surrounding it denoting your selection.
    
11. A small tab shall pop-up at the bottom part of the screen hosting various actions.
12. You need to select the ‘More' icon that has three dots horizontally placed one over another, and then navigate to ‘Extract To' button.
13. You get an option to select the path in which the files compressed and saved within the ZIP files are about to be stored. You can either choose the current path or choose a different path by making the right selection.
14. Once the selection has been made, click upon the ‘OK' button.
15. The folders and files shall be extracted into a folder that will be named after the original ZIP file.

You can now view and edit the extracted contents through the default File Explorer directory folder in your Android device.