Work-related ZIP archives often require management, but PC users may not know how to open them separate. Learning to open ZIP files independently using special programs is recommended. But no, come on, do not spit the nose, that’s not the case! You can be absolutely quiet! Opening ZIP files is a really simple task; I’m sure you will be able to learn and you’ll be able to do it in a blink of an eye, even if you are the first weapon in using your PC.
I am here for this very reason, and since I want to help you resolve this technology-related problem, I’m going to point you out a list of the best programs to open ZIP files.
The speaker offers free programs to help users set up famous software and open ZIP files. After installing them on their PC or Mac, the speaker promises to teach the steps to unlock the secrets of ZIP archives, ensuring a satisfying reading experience.
Integrated Windows functionality
In Windows operating systems, you can open a ZIP file without the need for any third-party program. I say this from the time Windows manages ZIP files as compressed folders, just like classic file group folders.
What you need to do to open a ZIP file through the built-in Windows feature is simply locate the ZIP file you want to open and double-click with the left mouse button on it. You will open a compressed folder view window, through which you can do the basic operations: you can open any file within the ZIP file with a double click on it, or extract all the content in a path you choose.
To extract the contents of the ZIP file on the latest Windows systems (Windows 8 or later), click the Extract tab at the top of the window. Then, click the Extract All button. If you can not locate the tab, you can also proceed by right-clicking the ZIP file and selecting the Extract All item from the context menu that will appear to you.
A window will open asking you to select the file extraction path (typically the files are extracted in the same location as the ZIP file is allocated) and you will have to confirm the extraction with the Extract button. Doing so will create a simple folder that will contain the contents of the ZIP file
Download 7-Zip files on Windows
Among the many programs to open ZIP files, I recommend using 7-Zip. This is a great program with full functionality and efficient management of compressed archives, although its interface is sparse and reduced to the essentials. 7-Zip also manages the opening of a large number of archive formats, such as RAR, CAB, GZIP, 7Z or ZIP files. You can download it for free only on Windows .
To get the program, go to its official website through the link I’ve provided and click Download at the version you want to download: 64-bit x64 if you have a 64-bit infrastructure system; or choose the 32-bit x86 version.
Then open the 7zxxxx-x64.exe (64 bit) or 7zxxxx.exe (32 bit) file to start the installation procedure. Click the YES button on the window that will open the User Account Control; then click Install and, as soon as the upload bar is full, click the Close button. If a PC restart window appears, press the YES button.
Now, to open a ZIP file, you just need to right-click the ZIP file and select the 7-Zip> Open item from the context menu. When you open the program, you can decide, for example, whether you want to open the archive content by double-clicking it or dragging it through the Extract button by choosing the destination path using the […] button and then pressing OK.
You will surely be aware that opening ZIP files through 7-Zip is only done through contextual menus. If you want to apply a file association between 7-Zip and ZIP compressed archives, you will need to open 7-Zip and reach the settings using Tools and then Options. On the System tab, highlight the zip entry and double-click the adjacent column or the All Users column.
Integrated macOS functionality
On MacOS operating systems, you can make the opening (or decompression) operation of a ZIP file without having to install any software.
The procedure for doing this is very simple. You will need to select the ZIP archive you want to open and double-click with the left mouse button on it. The contents of the archive will be extracted automatically in the same folder where the ZIP file is located. Simple? However, the built-in functionality may also be limited. So I’ll recommend some software to download on your Mac to do this ZIP opening operation.
Install Keka for macOS and PC
I’ve already mentioned 7-Zip, the free open source program for Windows. You will be pleased to know that its main development code (p7zip) has been used to develop a free program, called Keka, for compressed archive management (such as ZIP files) for macOS systems. This program is available for download through its official website . By sharing the same 7-Zip core, this program manages the opening of numerous compressed archive formats (for example, RAR, CAB, GZIP, 7Z, or ZIP files).
However, keep in mind that its compatibility with the most commonly compressed archives is for the sole opening of these; In fact, Keka manages the only creation of 7z, Zip, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, DMG and ISO archives. In your specific case, it will surely be your case to open ZIP archives.
Download Keka by clicking the green button on the link provided, then open the Keka-XXXX.dmg package and drag the program icon to the macOS Applications folder.
To associate Keka with ZIP extension files, right-click on a ZIP file, select Get Information, expand Open with, select Keka, press Edit All, and confirm the association.
From now on, whenever you double-click a ZIP file, Keka will automatically extract the content in the same folder where the compressed archive is located.
To create ZIP files instead, simply open the Keka application (you will find it in the list of software and applications installed on your MacOS by clicking on the Launchpad ). Now select the ZIP file icon at the top , choose the compression level, and drag the files inside the Keka window to create a ZIP compressed archive. best programs to open zip files feature has been added to Show it separately here.
Download iZip Best Programs to open ZIP files on macOS
If you also want to view the contents of a ZIP compressed archive, before proceeding with its decompression, I suggest you download iZip. The official website distributes this software for free on macOS systems. What is its peculiarity? It’s just that you can mount a compressed ZIP archive as if it were a virtual memory unit so that you can browse the content and extract only what you need. How do you say? Are you excited about this software and want to download it on your Mac? Then go on reading so you can step by step the procedure to get it.
First, open the link to the iZip official website that I’ve provided and click the green Download Now button. Once the download is complete, open the izip.dmg package and drag the program icon to the MacOS Applications folder as suggested in the window.
To associate ZIP files with iZip software, right-click on the archive, select Get Information, expand Open with, select iZip, press Edit All, and continue to confirm the association. Double-clicking a ZIP file opens a window with two windows: one for the mounted ZIP file, allowing browsing, and the other for iZip software, allowing feature management.
The scanner window allows easy transfer of ZIP archive contents or files, and can open them directly. The iZip window offers functions like closing, setting passwords, opening, creating new files, and opening the archive screen. It also allows double-clicking to open the compressed archive.
Other Best Programs to open ZIP files for free
The programs and applications that are useful to open ZIP files for free are really many. Here is a list of some of the most popular software that I recommend downloading to your computer.
- PeaZip (Windows / Linux ) – is a great free open source software that manages many compressed file formats, including ZIP format. You can download the version that requires installation or the portable version, which does not need it.
- 8 Zip Lite ( Windows ) – is a free application for Windows 8 and later that allows you to manage your ZIP files on your computer. You can easily download it from the Play Store.
- The Unarchiver ( macOS ) – is a free application available on macOS downloadable from the Mac App Store. Allows you to extract compressed archives by simply double-clicking on them. Using its settings panel, you can change the behavior of extracting the content of a compressed archive according to your preferences.
