Compressed files are used to store multiple files in a space-efficient way. The contents of a compressed file, also known as an archive, can be viewed using a compression/decompression program or application. These programs will allow you to decompress the archive, extract all of the files within it, and then view the contents of any of those files.
To view the contents inside of a compressed file, start by downloading a compression/decompression program to your computer. Popular examples of such a program include WinRAR (for Windows computers) and Unarchiver(for Macs). Both programs are free to download and use.
Once you have downloaded one of these programs, open it and select the “extract” option from its main menu. You will then be prompted to locate the compressed file in question. After finding the file, select it and click the “Extract” button at the bottom of the program. The program will then begin the process of extracting the files within the compressed file and saving them to a folder of your choice.
Once the extraction is complete, you can view the contents of any of the individual files that were extracted, depending on the type. A file with a .txt, .html, or .pdf extension can all be opened with a standard text editor, web browser, or PDF reader, respectively. Other types of files may require specialized software in order to view their contents.
If you ever wish to compress the individual files back into a single archive file, you can do so by selecting the “compress” option from the main menu of the compression/decompression program. You will then be prompted to select the individual files and specify the destination location for the new compressed file. Once this is done, the program will create the compressed file on your computer.
In conclusion, the contents of a compressed file can be viewed relatively easily by downloading a compression/decompression program, extracting the files within the archive, and then opening each file individually with the appropriate software.