How to unzip a RAR and ZIP file, step by step

What is the difference between RAR and ZIP?

In general, both RAR and ZIP work to share or store one or more files in a single location, in a smaller size.

According to WinRar, the main advantage of the ZIP format is its dissemination, while the RAR format provides better compression than ZIP.

How to unzip a RAR

In order to decompress a RAR file, you need to have the WinRar application installed. To decompress the file follow these steps:

• Double click on the RAR file
• The application window will appear showing the files.
• Going to the “Extract to” or “Extract in” option
• Select the folder where you want the file to be unzipped

How to unzip a ZIP

According to the Microsoft support site, these are the steps you should follow:

• Open File Explorer and locate the compressed folder.
• To unzip the entire folder, right-click to select Extract All, and then follow the instructions.
• You can also select “Extract All” from the command ribbon.

To unzip a single file or folder, double-click the compressed folder to open it. Then drag or copy the item from the compressed folder to a new location.

How to compress files

Microsoft notes that on Windows you can decompress several compressed file formats, however they can only be compressed to .ZIP. To that end, in the taskbar search box, type file explorer and select it from the list of results. Right-click the file you want to compress and then select Send to > Compressed (Zipped) Folder.