- #How to open a zip file on a mac computer how to#
- #How to open a zip file on a mac computer mac os x#
- #How to open a zip file on a mac computer mac os#
- #How to open a zip file on a mac computer install#
WinZip became popular because it was the first ever Zip / Unzip utility for Windows. The application that is usually recommended to use is WinZip.
#How to open a zip file on a mac computer install#
If you're using Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT or Windows 2000 then you'll need to install a special application to open Zip files. Double-click on a file inside the compressed folder and you may be able to open that too (but really, Windows has extracted a copy of the file to another location and is opening that, as described above.) But if you right-click on items in a compressed (zipped) folder, you'll notice that the same options don't appear on the pop-up menu. They are described as "Compressed (zipped) folders." Just double-click on a Zip file and it will open in Explorer, just like a folder. If you're using Windows XP, then your operating system has built-in support for Zip files. Windows cannot open a file or run a program directly from a Zip file.
Although some Zip / Unzip applications make it look as though you can open a file directly from a Zip file, in fact they must extract a copy of the file to a temporary storage area and open this temporary copy. However, the files must be extracted or unzipped from the archive before they can be used. They are also a very convenient way to package and send groups of related files. Zip files are used because they take up less space to store, and take less time to send or download. This is called "lossless compression." The compression methods used with JPG image files or MP3 music files are called "lossy compression" because some of the quality of the original image or sound is lost during the compression process. In short, Zip files are a space-saving way of storing single files or groups of related files.įiles in a Zip archive will decompress to exactly their original state. And the name neatly describes a way of packaging up a file or group of files. It isn't the best, and it wasn't even the first, but it is certainly the most widespread. "Zip" is the name given to the compression algorithm originally developed by Phil Katz. There are many different compression techniques in use today. "Compressed" means that mathematical techniques have been used to reduce the space needed to store the files, so that the size of the archive may be much smaller than the size of the files it contains. The term "Archive" in this context means that the file may contain one or more files, or even folders, much like folders on your hard disk.
#How to open a zip file on a mac computer how to#
Below are some of the reasons that this happens and how to fix these issues as well.Zip files are compressed archives. How to Create Zip Files and Folder on Mac.
The file is then Zipped while the original is left just the way it was. Select 'Compress' in the drop-down menu you see.
#How to open a zip file on a mac computer mac os#
This process continues in a loop, making it almost impossible to unzip a cpgz file on Mac OS X. Open a Finder window, then locate the file or folder you want to zip. Sometimes, when the zip file is unzipped, it converts to a cpgz file and when Archive Utility is launched, the file turns back to a zip file.
#How to open a zip file on a mac computer mac os x#
A cpgz file is similar to a tgz file that uses a gzip compression and tar container on Mac OS X and Linux operating systems. If for some reason you’re not happy with your computer, you can sell your phones and electronics for cash with Gazelle Trade-In.Ī common issue when Mac OS X users try to open a zip file and convert it to a cpgz file is that there are several issues that happen. For those who ask what is a cpgz file, cpgz is a compressed archive that combines the Copy In, Copy Out archive format and gzip compression. For those that are having issues with opening a zip file and converting it to a CPGZ file, we have a guide to help learn how to unzip a CPGZ file on Mac OS X.