ZIP Extractor PLUS — User Guide

ZIP Extractor is a lightweight, fast archive tool for Windows that lets you browse, extract, and create compressed files with ease. Whether you need to quickly open a ZIP file, decompress an entire folder of archives, or package files for sharing, ZIP Extractor handles it all.

Overview
Home — File Explorer & Archive Viewer
Batch Extract
Quick Compress
Settings — Appearance
Supported Formats
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

ZIP Extractor provides three main workflow pages, accessible from the left sidebar navigation:

Home — A full file explorer with an embedded archive viewer. Browse your computer like normal, and double-click any archive to peek inside without extracting.
Batch Extract — Drop in dozens of archives at once and extract them all in one operation.
Quick Compress — Add files or folders and create a new archive with a few clicks.

On first launch, ZIP Extractor automatically opens this help page in your default browser.

Home — File Explorer & Archive Viewer

The Home page is your all-in-one workspace. It combines a file browser with a powerful archive viewer, so you never need to leave the app to manage your files.

Navigating Your Files

At the top of the Home page you’ll find a toolbar with:

Back / Forward — Move through your browsing history, just like a web browser.
Up — Go to the parent folder. From a drive root (e.g. C:\), this takes you back to This PC. From This PC, it takes you to the Desktop.
Path Bar — Click the dropdown arrow to jump to common locations (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, drives). You can also type a full path directly and press Enter to jump there.
Refresh — Reload the current folder contents.

Click any column header (Name, Size, Date Modified) to sort. Click again to toggle ascending/descending order.

Opening Files & Folders

Double-click a folder to navigate into it.
Double-click a regular file to open it with its default Windows application.
Double-click an archive (.zip, .7z, .rar, etc.) to open it in the embedded Archive Viewer.

Archive Viewer — Browse Without Extracting

When you double-click an archive, the file list switches to show the archive’s internal contents. The path bar shows the archive file name followed by " > "-separated folder names as you navigate deeper inside.

The Archive Viewer always shows a .. entry at the top — double-click it to go up one level, or click the Up toolbar button to exit the archive entirely and return to the file explorer.

While viewing an archive you can:

Double-click a file inside the archive to extract it to a temporary folder and open it.
Double-click a folder to navigate into it.
Select files or folders and click Extract to pull them out of the archive (see below).
Add files to the archive, or Delete / Rename existing entries using the toolbar.

Extracting Files

You can extract from two places:

From the file explorer (outside an archive):

Select one or more archive files in the list.
Click the Extract button on the toolbar.
Choose a destination folder.
Each archive extracts into its own subfolder, named after the archive. If a folder with that name already exists, ZIP Extractor automatically appends (1), (2), etc.

From inside the Archive Viewer:

Select the files and folders you want to extract (hold Ctrl to multi-select, or Shift to select a range).
Click Extract. Only the selected items — not the entire archive — will be pulled out. Folders are expanded recursively, so selecting a folder extracts everything inside it.
Choose a destination folder and wait for the progress bar to finish.

After extraction completes, Windows Explorer opens automatically and highlights the extracted folder so you can jump straight to it.

Creating a New Archive

In the file explorer, select the files and folders you want to compress.
Click the Compress button on the toolbar.
Choose where to save the new ZIP file. By default it uses the name of the first selected item.
Click Save and wait for compression to finish.

Modifying an Existing Archive

Open an archive in the Archive Viewer, then use the toolbar buttons:

Add — Pick files from your computer to add them into the current archive folder.
Delete — Remove selected entries from the archive (you’ll be asked to confirm).
Rename — Change the name of a single selected entry.

When viewing an encrypted archive, you’ll be prompted for the password before the contents are listed. The same password is used for any modifications you make during that session.

Batch Extract

Have a folder full of archives you need to decompress? Batch Extract handles them all at once — no need to open each one individually.

Step 1: Add Archives

Click Add Files to pick specific archives (you can select multiple at once).
Click Add Folder to scan a folder (and all its subfolders) for archives. ZIP Extractor automatically finds .zip, .7z, .rar, .tar, .gz, .bz2, and .xz files.
Use Remove to take individual items out of the list, or Clear to start over.

Step 2: Choose Output Strategy

Pick one of two strategies:

Extract each to same folder as archive — Each archive unpacks into the folder where the archive file itself is located.
Extract all to one folder — Everything goes into a single destination you choose via Browse.

You can also override the output folder for any individual archive by clicking the output path in the list.

Step 3: Start

Click Start Batch Extract. A progress bar shows overall progress and the current file being processed. You can click Cancel at any time to stop.

When finished, you’ll see a summary of how many archives succeeded and how many failed. If some failed, a dialog lists the error details.

Quick Compress

Quick Compress is the fastest way to create a new archive — ideal when you just need to package a few files and don’t need the file explorer.

Step 1: Add Your Files

Add Files — Select one or more files.
Add Folder — Select a folder to compress its entire contents.

Your items appear in the list with their icons and total sizes. Remove items with Remove or clear everything with Clear.

Step 2: Configure the Archive

Option	Description
Format	Choose ZIP, 7Z, or TAR. ZIP is the most universally compatible.
Compression Level	Six levels from Store (no compression, fastest) to Ultra (maximum compression, slower). Normal is the best balance for most cases.
Password (optional)	Enter a password to encrypt the archive. ZIP archives use AES-256 encryption. You’ll need this password every time you or someone else opens the archive.
Output	Choose where to save the archive. The default name is based on the first item you added, or "archive" if you added multiple items.

Step 3: Compress

Click the Compress button. A progress bar and status text keep you informed. Click Cancel to abort — any partially created archive is cleaned up automatically.

When done, a confirmation dialog shows the output file path.

Settings — Appearance

From the left sidebar, open Settings to choose your preferred theme:

System — Automatically match your Windows light/dark setting.
Dark — Always use the dark theme.
Light — Always use the light theme.

Your choice is saved automatically and applied the next time you launch ZIP Extractor.

You can also toggle the theme at any time using the theme button in the top-right corner of the window.

Supported Formats

Extraction (Read)

ZIP Extractor can open and extract from these archive formats:

.zip — ZIP archives, including AES-256 encrypted ZIP files
.7z — 7-Zip archives
.rar — RAR archives
.tar — Tape archives (uncompressed)
.tgz, .gz — Gzip-compressed archives
.tbz2, .bz2 — Bzip2-compressed archives
.xz — XZ-compressed archives

Compression (Create)

ZIP Extractor can create archives in these formats:

ZIP — Most compatible, optional AES-256 encryption support
7Z — Higher compression ratios
TAR — Uncompressed packaging for Unix/Linux systems

Compression Levels

Level	Speed	Compression	Best For
Store	Instant	None	Already-compressed files (images, videos)
Fastest	Very fast	Minimal	Quick backups where size doesn’t matter
Fast	Fast	Low	General-purpose, time-sensitive tasks
Normal	Balanced	Good	Recommended default for most users
Maximum	Slow	High	Archiving files you won’t modify
Ultra	Very slow	Highest	Maximum space savings, archiving to cloud

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open password-protected archives?

Yes. When you try to view or extract an encrypted archive, ZIP Extractor prompts you for the password. If you’re batch-extracting, protected archives that can’t be read will be reported in the failure summary.

Can I create password-protected archives?

Yes. On the Quick Compress page, enter a password in the Password field before compressing. ZIP archives are encrypted with AES-256.

Which compression format should I use?

ZIP is the safest choice if you plan to share the archive with others — every operating system can open it natively. Use 7Z if you want smaller file sizes and are sure the recipient has 7-Zip or ZIP Extractor installed. Choose TAR only for Unix/Linux environments.

Why does the extraction create an extra folder?

ZIP Extractor creates a new folder named after the archive to keep things organized. For example, extracting photos.zip creates photos/ containing the contents. If photos/ already exists, it uses photos (1)/, then photos (2)/, and so on — so your existing files are never overwritten accidentally.

Where are my settings stored?

All settings are saved in %AppData%\unitepage\zipextractor\config.ini. This file also stores whether you’ve rated the app and your theme preference.

Why did a rating dialog appear?

After your first successful compression or extraction, ZIP Extractor asks you to rate the app. This helps us improve it and lets other users find it. If you click Rate Now, the dialog won’t appear again. If you click Don’t show again, it also won’t appear. If you dismiss it with Later or close the window, it will remind you again the next time you close the app.

Can I add files to an existing archive?

Yes. Open the archive in the Archive Viewer from the Home page, then click the Add button on the toolbar. You can also delete and rename entries inside the archive.

Why doesn’t ZIP Extractor support updating existing encrypted archives?

Due to library limitations, incremental modifications to encrypted ZIP files require special handling. ZIP Extractor uses SharpZipLib to preserve AES-256 encryption when adding files or removing entries from encrypted archives, ensuring your encryption stays intact.

ZIP Extractor — brought to you by Unitepage. For the latest updates and other useful tools, visit our website.