How to Zip Files in Windows 10 (Or Unzip A File)

Knowing how to Zip files, even multiple files or folders, and unzip them is very useful. Here is the easiest method, step by step.

Zip files have been around for quite some time. Released in the public domain in 1989 and has been implemented natively in Windows since 1998.

Here we will show you how to deal with them, even create them yourself, and handle other compression formats. Just a worthwhile mention, another type of popular compression is a RAR archive.

Steps to Zip files or folders

This method will work with any type of file. It’s how you would Zip a PDF or any other file type.

Open up Windows File Explorer and navigate to the file you wish to Zip.

1. Hover over the file you would like to Zip with your mouse pointer.
2. Press the right mouse button, move your mouse pointer to ‘Send to’.
3. A new smaller menu will appear. Move your mouse pointer over ‘Compressed (zipped) folder’ and press the left mouse button.
4. Rename the folder and press enter to complete the process.

How to Unzip a file on Windows 10 (Open Zip files)

1. Hover over it with your mouse pointer.
2. Press the right mouse button and hover your mouse pointer over ‘Extract all’.
3. Press the left mouse button.
4. Select the destination you would like the contents to be unzipped to.
5. Press the left mouse button when hovering over ‘Extract’ to complete extraction.

How to Zip multiple files

1. Select the files

The procedure is exactly the same as above. The only difference is that you will first have to select the files you wish to have zipped first.

To do this, move your mouse pointer to an area of the screen that is near your files and folders, but on a plain white area. Then press your left mouse button and hold it down.

Drag the blue box around the files and folders you want to be selected, then release the left mouse button.

You will see your files have now changed color.

2. Right-click on the selected files

Move your mouse pointer over one of the selected files or folders, then press your right mouse button.

3. Zip your files

Hover your mouse pointer over the ‘Send to’ contextual menu item, then left-click on ‘Compressed (zipped) folder’.

How to open various compression formats

There are many other types of compressed files. Some Include:

• 7z
• BIN
• DMG
• CAB
• GZIP
• LZX
• PAK
• TAR
• RAR

And many more, this was only a few out of the ocean of formats.

The easiest way to deal with them all is to install and use a program called 7-Zip.

It’s free and can handle a vast amount of various compression formats. The other advantage is that it adds an extra feature in your contextual menu in order to deal with compressed files quickly and easily.

So dealing with the files is done much the same way as the Zip and Unzip procedure that we covered earlier.

There will be more options that you will have at your disposal after installing 7-Zip. The main thing you will most likely use it for is to extract various compressed file types that will encounter over time while using computers.

Related questions

Does Windows 10 have a Zip program?

Windows has Zip capability built into it, so it supports it natively. No need for extra software in order to create or extract them.

Does Windows 10 need WinZip?

If you only plan to work with Zip files for your compression format, then no, you don’t need WinZip. You will only need it if you want to create compressed archives with other compression formats like RAR files, for example.

You can purchase a copy of WinZip if you plan to do your own RAR-compressed files and more.

Conclusion

The first method demonstrated how to zip or unzip files using the built-in Windows Zip utility.

To take it further, the 7 Zip program is the best you will find for its price, which is free. It’s clean, lightweight, and simple to use. Above all, it does a wonderful job with most other compression formats.