markinvictoria Loc: Victoria TX

Years ago WinZip was the standard...last year I suckered into one of their free trials...major mistake. They are a money sucking scam. I finally had to have my credit card ban anything from WinZip.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

I use both 7zip and WinRAR, and have for decades. Both are good.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

My windows explorer will unzip a zipped file. Right click on the zipped file, select one of the extract options and the files will be unzipped to that location. Am I missing something about the OP’s question?

Stan

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

I use 7-zip. But I have not heard of firmware being zipped.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

When I used Windows on a real PC, I had WinZip. It works great, but if you use it long term, it will cost you. I needed it to create compressed zip files for corporate customers.

The Mac has zip built-in. When you right-click or control-click on a file on a Mac, choosing Compress "filename here" will zip it. Double-clicking on a zipped file will unzip it.

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

This is what I explained in an earlier post--both zipping and unzipping in Windows Explorer.

The problem is that the OP has not told us what the extension on the file is. If it is *.zip, then these instructions will work. However, it could also be *.gzip, *.gz, *.rar, *.zz, *.tar, etc., just to name a few of the different formats. Windows, out of the box, can only open a few of these. --Richard

BebuLamar

The extension of the file is zip. I downloaded it and unzip it with Windows without using any third party software. However, I haven't find the way to zip the files without extra software in Windows.

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

I am laboring under the impression that zip/unzip was native to the OS and additional software was a thing of the distant past. I’m a purpose built desktop kind of guy so I am a Windows user. I can’t imagine Apple wouldn’t also.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

In 2022, file compression and decompression should be just another operating system utility, typically accessible with a right-click or a control-click on the file. The Mac has had it for over a decade.

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

I don't know if windows has a zip utility. I've not ever used it. I simply use 7zip for everything, and it's good. I use WinRAR for opening *.RAR files, but don't use it for archiving.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

I have used winzip in the past with no problems.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Yup!! That's what I have usually used. Good old "right click"!
Mark

KillroyII Loc: Middle Georgia

In 1995 I purchased a LIFETIME license from WinZip. Worked great and got some upgrades using the number supplied with the purchase. Some time later, that update would not work, I contacted the company and they replied that they no longer sold, or honored previous, LIFETIME licenses.

I still have a pulse so I presume they have a different understanding of what LIFETIME means.

In 1995, I don’t think WinDOZE unzipped and zipped files. If it had, i wouldn’t have spent the $.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Many, many moons ago, I also purchased WinZip. However, Windows 10, 11 and perhaps 7 had built-in unzipping features. Consequently, I have not had the WinZip application loaded on my PC's.
Mark

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

Many UHH members, including myself, have already given some of the stuff I will include here, but here it is all in one place.

COMPRESSING FILES AND FOLDERS ON A MAC

From the Mac Users Guide:
"Compress a file or folder: Control-click it or tap it using two fingers, then choose Compress from the shortcut menu. If you compress a single item, the compressed file has the name of the original item with the . zip extension. If you compress multiple items at once, the compressed file is called Archive."
Source: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/zip-and-unzip-files-and-folders-on-mac-mchlp2528/

_WINDOW 10 AND 11_

COMPRESSING FROM THE RIGHT-CLICK QUICK MENU

tTo zip a file or folder, first create a new folder with the name you want the zipped file to have but without the .zip in the name. Load all the files you wish into it. Right-click on it and select "Compress to ZIP file." A new file will be created with the name you selected for the folder plus the extension .zip will be added.

COMPRESSING FROM WINDOWS FILE EXPLORER

The right-click quick menu can vary from installation to installation. Users and software can easily modify it. However, the option to "Compress to ZIP file" is always available somewhere in the Windows File Explorer..

Open the folder you wish to compress. Select all of the files. Go to the More menu "..." in the header of the File Explorer and you should find the ZIP option there. Depending upon how you have your file explorer configured the menu may be in a different location. However, the ZIP option will be available in the File Explorer somewhere.

--Richard Bowman