A ZIP file is a type of compressed file, which allows multiple files or folders to be packaged into one file, making it easier to store and share both large and multiple files. While the popularity of ZIP files has declined with the advent of faster internet connections and larger cloud storage capacity, they’re still used by many.
In this article, we’ll show you how to open, extract and manage .zip files in Windows 10 (and older versions of Windows).
1. Open File Explorer
The first step is to open the File Explorer. To do this, click the Start button on the taskbar, then click the folder icon that says “File Explorer” .
2. Find the ZIP file
Once the File Explorer window is open, navigate to the folder containing the ZIP file you want to open. To do this, click the folder icons along the left side of the window, such as “Desktop” or “Downloads”.
3. Select the ZIP file
Once you’ve found the ZIP file you’d like to open, single-click it to select it.
4. Open the ZIP file
To open the ZIP file, right-click on it and select “Extract All” from the context menu.
5. Choose a Destination Folder
Once you’ve clicked “Extract All”, a new window will open asking you to choose a destination folder. Select the folder where you want the extracted files to be placed and click “Extract”.
6. Manage the Extracted Files
Once the extraction process is complete, you’ll be able to view, manage, and use the extracted files from the destination folder. These files can then be moved, edited, renamed, and shared.
7. Compress Files
If you want to compress your own files into a ZIP file, you can do so in Windows 10 easily. All you need to do is select the files you want to compress and right-click them. From the context menu, select “Send to” and then “Compressed (Zipped) Folder”. This will create a ZIP file with all of the selected files.
Opening ZIP files in Windows is straightforward and easy. Just make sure to select a destination folder when extracting the files, and make regular backups of any important compressed data.