Zip or compressed files are the best ways to shrink files and group them. This helps users save storage space on their hard disks. However, some do not know the subtle art of unzipping or uncompressing these zip files. This article will help readers unzip files in Windows 11 using free inbuilt tools provided by Microsoft.
3 Ways to Unzip Files in Windows 11
Unzip Files In Windows 11 Using The File Explorer
The Windows File Explorer allows users to compress and uncompress files and folders in the ZIP format. Here is how to unzip files using the File Explorer:
Step 1: Press Windows + E on the keyboard to open the File Explorer window.
Step 2: Locate the zip file and right-click on it to view the context menu.
Step 3: Now, choose the Extract All option.
Step 4: A new window will appear asking you to choose the destination folder where the files within the compressed file would be saved.
Step 5: You can select the folder of your choice and then hit the Extract button.
Step 6: All the files in the zip file will appear in a normal folder.
Step 7: If you wish to extract one or two files only from the zip file, you can double-click on the zip file, and it will open in file explorer. You can copy/paste any file you need.
Unzip Files In Windows 11 Using The PowerShell
The PowerShell utility in Windows 11 can help extract the contents of a compressed file or unzip a file. Here are the steps:
Note: Creating a Zip file is also very easy; select a file or multiple files and make a right-click on them to view the context menu. Choose Compress To Zip File, and the compressed file will be created next to the files in the same folder. You can rename the file at your convenience.
Step 1: Press Windows + S to open the search box.
Step 2: Type PowerShell and locate the app under Best Match results.
Step 3: Click on the Run As Administrator option to run PowerShell in elevated mode.
Step 4: Right-click on your zip file and select Copy As Path from the context menu. The navigational path of the zip file will now be copied to the clipboard.
Step 5: Run the following command on your PowerShell.
Expand-Archive -Path “path of ZIP file” -DestinationPath “C:\New Folder.”
Step 6: Once the command is executed with the Enter key, navigate to the C drive, and you will find a new folder with the zip file contents extracted and ready to use.
Note: You must replace the “path of ZIP file” with the zip file address you copied in Step 4.
Unzip Files In Windows 11 Using The Command Prompt
The Command Prompt has a Tar function to help extract zip files on your Windows 11 PC. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Press Windows + E to open the File Explorer window.
Step 2: Navigate to the folder where your zip file is stored.
Step 3: Select the Address bar and remove its contents. Type cmd followed by the Enter key.
Step 4: The Command Prompt will now open. Copy and paste the following command.
tar -xf filename.zip
Note: Replace the “filename” with the actual file name of the zip file.
Step 5: The Command Prompt will unzip the zip file’s contents in the same folder.
The Final Word On 3 ways to Unzip Files in Windows 11
I hope this guide has solved the problem of unzipping a zip or compressed file on your Windows 11 PC. You can use any of the three methods above, which are free as they use the inbuilt utilities provided by Microsoft.
If you wish to identify the zip and compressed files on your PC, you must use a third-party app like Disk Analyzer Pro. This app will scan the entire contents of your Hard drive and sort all the files into various categories. One of these categories is compressed files that you can choose and view on your system’s zip files. Other types include duplicate files, junk files, large files, redundant, and old files.
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