How to unzip archives: instructions for using popular tools

This article answers the question of how to unzip archives. It examines the built-in Windows tools, third-party software for the desktop OS, as well as a utility for smartphones. All described programs are given detailed instructions.

Embedded Tools

Starting with the seventh version, a simple archiver is built into Windows operating systems, but it can only work with the ZIP format. Functions for working with the RAR container are not integrated into modern OSs, as it is proprietary.

How to unzip a ZIP archive without third-party programs? Follow the steps:

1. Expand the explorer window. To do this, double-click on the "Computer" icon located on the desktop.
2. Go to the directory where the archive is stored.
3. Double click on the compressed file.
4. Select the documents you want to extract. If you need to unzip everything contained in the archive, use the key combination CTRL + A.
5. Expand another explorer window and go to the directory where you want to unzip the data.
6. Drag files from the window with compressed files into the newly opened directory. A standard copy panel will appear on the screen, in which the unpacking process will be displayed.

7-zip

For many users, the functions of working with archives built into the OS would be quite enough if another format, RAR, were not more common on the Internet. In this regard, one of the most necessary third-party programs that should be installed on a computer in the first place is an archiver, for example 7-Zip.

7-ZIP is the best of the free apps in its category. He can work not only with RAR and ZIP archives, but also with many others. How to unzip a RAR archive using 7-Zip? Use the instructions below:

1. Download and install the utility. Attention: download software only from the official developer resource in order to avoid infection of your PC with viruses.
2. Launch the app.
3. In the built-in file manager, navigate to the directory where the file to be unzipped is stored, and double-click on it.
4. Select the documents you want to extract. If you need to unzip all files, do not select anything.
5. Click on the icon, under which is the inscription "Extract".
6. Specify the directory where the unzipped files will be moved.
7. Click on OK.

Upon completion of the operation, the extracted documents can be found in the folder specified by the user. Moreover, when the unzipping is completed, the utility will not notify the user about this - a window with a strip showing the progress of the process will simply disappear from the screen.

Winrar

Winrar can be called the best archiver. Its only drawback is the need to purchase a license even for home use. However, the developer provides a trial period of 30 days, if you need to unpack the archive once, then you will not have to pay. And that’s good.

How to unzip an archive using Winrar? Follow these steps:

1. Download the application on your PC and install it.
2. At the end of the installation, the utility will ask you to choose what types of files should be opened in it. Inexperienced users can be advised not to change anything, and just click on "ENTER".
3. Launch the app.
4. Using the built-in file manager, go to the directory where the archive is located.
5. Double-click on the file you want to unzip.
6. Click on the icon labeled "Extract to."
7. At this step, before unpacking the archive, specify the folder where the extracted documents will be placed.
8. Click on "OK".

As in the case of 7-Zip, after extracting documents on the screen will not appear any messages about the successful completion of the operation. The panel simply displays the progress bar of the process.

How to unzip a ZIP archive on Android?

Mobile phones are increasingly being used to perform standard file operations. On them as well as on a PC, you can extract documents from archives.

To unzip the ZIP format archive on a smartphone with the Android operating system, follow the instructions:

1. Using the Play Store application repository, install Root Explorer.
2. Run the utility.
3. Go to the directory where the compressed file is located.
4. Tap on it and hold your finger until the file is highlighted. At the same time, a menu should be displayed at the top of the screen.
5. Click on the icon with a horizontal vertical row of squares, and in the drop-down list of actions tap on the text “Extract all”.

To find out where the documents were unpacked, open the menu and go to "Settings", and then scroll to the "Folder for extracting archive" item. Here you can not only look at the catalog for extracting documents, but also change it before unpacking the archive.