How to extract a file from the ZIP archive: Ways and Recommendations

Today, in order to save space for storing or transferring data, special formats called archives are used. In fact, they are a container containing the files you are looking for in a compressed form. One of the most common is the ZIP format. Now it will be considered how to extract the file from the ZIP archive. In English, this operation is called either Extract or Decompress (it all depends on the application used). To do this, you can give some practical advice that will be useful in the future.

How to extract a file from the ZIP archive: general principles

In general, initially in unpacking of any type of archival data, two main directions in the performance of the selected actions can be distinguished. First, you can extract all the data completely. Secondly, for unpacking, you can select a specific object.

If we talk about how to extract a file from the ZIP archive, it is important to remember that modern archiver programs support both the creation and extraction of data from such archives. But as for the initial creation of a packed catalog, it's not so simple. The matter is that some programs can use additional algorithms of compression, encryption and use access restriction by setting passwords while saving data. This will be discussed a little later.

How to extract a file from the ZIP archive: the program by which the archive was created

Until recently, it was believed that ZIP-archives can initially be created only with the help of an archiver popular at the dawn of computer technology development called WinZIP.

Yes, indeed, at that time there was no alternative to this application, however, with the advent of such powerful utilities as WinRAR and 7-Zip, the main program seemed to have moved to the second place, since archives of this format could be created and unpacked using new tools. But today WinZIP is also able to perceive many other formats, but there is nothing wrong with using this program.

For standard data retrieval, you can use the usual double click on the archive, indicating the final unpacking location. If you need to decide how to extract the file from the ZIP archive (it's just about one object, if there are several of them in the archive), you must first start the program, open the desired ZIP file in it, select the desired object in the content, To save the extracted file.

Established means of Windows-systems

Relatively recently, in Windows-systems appeared built-in tool for decompression of archival data. In fact, it's nothing more than the same WinZIP archiver that has migrated to the standard operating system set (it's built into Explorer).

In principle, to extract information, you can use this option, using the usual double click with the choice of object / objects from the list (in Windows, automatic extraction is not provided by default; instead, the archive is opened as a separate folder). But you can use the decompression command.

WinRAR application

This program is different in that it perceives a lot of formats. You can not extract a single object without manually starting the application.

But if you use a double click or context menu with the "Extract all ..." action, you do not need to click the browse button to select a folder (although there is such a possibility) or to indicate unpacking to the current directory, because the application itself suggests creating a directory with the same name of the archive. In addition, it is this utility that is considered one of the best for creating and working with SFX-files (self-extracting archives, according to the principle of actions resembling ordinary EXE-files).

Program 7-Zip: advantages over other means

7-Zip is a relatively young program. However, it largely surpasses the classic utilities, and the files created with it can sometimes be uncompressed by standard means.

This is due only to the fact that it is possible to use the most advanced compression and encryption algorithms, which in the standard settings of other applications are disabled or simply absent.

Unpacking the archive with a password

Now a few words about how to extract the file from the ZIP archive with the password. In the simplest version, you simply enter it into a special field before the decompression process starts. If there is no password, for downloaded files from the Internet you need to check it on the site from where they downloaded.

If there is no password as such, you can use any archiver with Advanced Archive Password Recovery. In its settings, you first specify the path to the archive, then the method for determining the password and its approximate length. In choosing the Brute-force technique, you need to specify which characters were supposedly used in the password (numbers, letters, symbols or their combinations), in the password-searching method - the built-in dictionary, for which you need to enter the path to the file located in the ARCHPR directory.

Retrieve data on mobile Android devices

Finally, let's see how to extract the file from the ZIP archive to the "Android" device. Own means for the system to conduct such an operation is not, so you will have to use third-party applications.

Among the most popular are the following:

• Easy Unrar, Unzip & Zip;
• Andro Zip;
• RAR for "Android";
• Solid Explorer;
• ES Explorer and others.

The last two programs are powerful file managers, which already have a built-in archiver. The very actions to extract data from archives from standard procedures are not particularly different.

What to use?

How to extract a file from the ZIP archive is already understandable. It remains to give some tips on using utilities. Despite the popularity of classic programs like WinZIP and WinRAR, it is better to give preference to the 7-Zip archiver, since it has great capabilities in the functionality and supports the most advanced technologies for data compression and encryption. In terms of password matching, the above-described AAPR utility is suitable. By the way, no Disassembler, which allows viewing the "decompiled" archive code, will not help, because the password is encrypted unilaterally. Well, for Android-systems, in order not to install archivers in addition, an excellent solution will be the use of the file manager ES Explorer, which is considered the most powerful and advanced among all programs of this type.