There are a variety of ways to extract files from an archive in Windows. One of the most popular and straightforward methods is to use Windows’ built-in extraction tool, Windows Explorer.
To begin, first locate the file or files you wish to extract from the archive. Once located, simply right-click on the file or folder you wish to extract and then select “Extract all” from the context menu. You will then be prompted to choose a destination for the extracted files, so choose the folder that you want the files to be saved to. Once you have selected a destination, click the “Extract” button and the extraction process will begin. Depending on the size of the archive, this process may take a few seconds, or a few minutes. Once finished, you can navigate to the chosen destination folder and you will see the extracted files inside it.
If the archive you want to extract is in another format, such as RAR or 7Z, then you will need to use a dedicated extraction program like WinZip or 7Zip. To use these programs, first launch the software and then open the archive you want to extract. Once the archive is open, you will be able to browse its contents. When you’ve located the file or files you wish to extract, simply use the extraction program’s interface to select the file and then choose where you want the file(s) to be extracted to. Just like with Windows Explorer, this extraction process may take a few seconds or a few minutes depending on the size of the archive and once finished, you can navigate to the chosen destination folder and the extracted files will be found in there.
In addition to Windows Explorer and these dedicated archiving programs, there are also other methods for extracting files from an archive. Some modern web browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge support native archive extraction, meaning you can open an archive file directly from within the browser interface without needing to use any dedicated software. Just like before, once the archive is open, you can browse its contents and select the files you wish to extract. Then select the destination folder for the file, and the browser will extract the files to the chosen folder.
Finally, there are also online services which allow you to open and extract files from archives stored online. These services generally require you to sign up and create an account, but once signed up, you can use the service to open any supported archive and then browse and select the files you wish to extract. After selecting the files, choose the destination folder and the service will extract the files to the chosen folder.
Regardless of the method used, once the extraction process is complete, your files will be in the chosen folder and ready to use.