ZIP File

What are ZIP files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a ZIP file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your ZIP files.

What is a ZIP file?

A .ZIP file is a ZIP compressed archive file.

A Zip file is a compressed archive file used to make large files and collections of files more manageable to the user.

When a .zip file is created, data is compressed to reduce the file size. Multiple files can be combined into a single Zip folder, making it easier to upload, download or email a volume of files. When opening a file with a .zip extension, you can extract a single file or the entire directory structure.

The Zip file format makes sharing documents and files much easier. For example, if you had twenty separate documents that you wanted to email, you could compress them all into a single .zip file rather than uploading each one individually. Some Zip files can be encrypted to protect the content.

How to open ZIP files

We have identified five ZIP openers that are compatible with this specific type of ZIP file.

Programs that open ZIP compressed archive files

Last updated: February 24, 2023

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