How to Open ZIP Files on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and in the Browser
Open and extract ZIP files on Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, Linux or in your browser, with the exact menu names, common errors and what each one means.
Practical archive guides
Each guide is written and tested by the UnpackNest editorial team on real files, with exact steps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone, and honest notes on what our browser tools do and do not support.
Open archives by format
Step-by-step guides for each common archive format, on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone, and in the browser.
How to Open 7z Files on Windows, Mac, Linux and Phones
Open .7z archives with 7-Zip, Windows 11's built-in support, Keka on Mac, Linux 7zz, or in your browser. Includes passwords, split parts and the errors you may meet.
How to Open Split 7z Archives (.7z.001, .7z.002 …)
Open multi-part 7z archives (.7z.001, .7z.002) on Windows, Mac, Linux or a phone: what each part is, how to extract them together, and how to fix missing or broken parts.
How to Open GZ Files: .gz, .tar.gz and .tgz Explained
What a .gz file is, how it differs from .tar.gz, and how to decompress it on Windows, macOS, Linux, phones or in your browser, with commands that keep the original.
How to Open .tar.gz and .tgz Files on Windows, Mac and Your Phone
Open .tar.gz, .tgz and .gz files on Windows 10/11, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone: built-in options, simple commands, browser extraction without upload, and fixes for common errors.
How to Open ISO Files: Mount, Extract or Write Them to USB
An honest guide to ISO disc images: mount them on Windows, macOS or Linux, extract files with 7-Zip, or write a bootable USB. UnpackNest does not open ISO files, so this explains the local alternatives.
How to Open a RAR Online Without Uploading the File
Open a supported RAR in your browser without uploading the archive itself. See how local WebAssembly processing works and what UnpackNest currently supports.
How to Open a RAR File on Android in Your Browser
A step-by-step way to inspect and extract a supported RAR file on Android using a browser, with no archive upload to UnpackNest.
How to Open a RAR File on iPhone and iPad
Open a RAR on iPhone or iPad without a random extractor app: Files, Mail, Safari, iCloud Drive, where the download goes, and the limits of browser extraction.
How to Open ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR on a Chromebook
Use the ChromeOS Files app for ZIP, the browser for RAR and 7z, and the Linux container when you need tar, xz or a password 7-Zip understands.
How to Open ZIP and RAR Attachments from Email
Save Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and phone attachments before extracting them, spot blocked extensions and link-only messages, and avoid opening a surprise archive in the preview.
How to Open Multi-Part RAR and Split ZIP Archives
Recognise .part1.rar, .r00 and .z01 sets, tell them apart from a failed download, and open them in the right order on a computer or in the browser.
Troubleshooting and repair
What to check when an archive will not open, is damaged or asks for a password.
Why Won’t My RAR File Open? 7 Checks Before You Try Again
Troubleshoot a RAR that will not open: wrong format, incomplete downloads, corruption, passwords, split archives, browser limits and blocked paths.
How to Repair a Corrupted ZIP or RAR File (and When You Can't)
Diagnose and repair damaged ZIP and RAR archives: truncated downloads, CRC errors, broken central directories and RAR recovery records, with honest limits and exact commands.
Password-Protected ZIP, 7z and RAR Files: How to Open Them Safely
How archive passwords work in ZIP, 7z and RAR, which tools open AES archives, why built-in extractors fail, what UnpackNest supports, and what to do if you lost the password.
What to Do When an Archive Contains Another Archive
A ZIP inside a RAR, a TAR.GZ inside a ZIP, or an ISO wrapped in mail: the order to open nested archives, how to save the inner file, and when nesting is a warning sign.
How to Extract One File Without Unpacking the Whole Archive
Pull one document out of a large ZIP, RAR, 7z or TAR without filling the disk: what each format allows, how the browser tools do it, and when a solid archive still makes you wait.
Formats explained and compared
How the formats differ, and how to create the right archive when you are the sender.
What Is a RAR File? A Practical Guide to Opening and Extracting It
Learn what a RAR file is, what extraction means, how RAR differs from a normal folder, and how to inspect supported RAR archives privately in your browser.
RAR4 vs RAR5: What Is the Difference?
Compare RAR4 and RAR5 signatures, encryption structure and compatibility, and see how UnpackNest detects both archive generations.
7z vs ZIP vs RAR: Differences, Strengths and When to Use Each
A practical comparison of 7z, ZIP and RAR: compression, speed, built-in support, encryption, split archives, recovery and licensing, with clear advice on which format to use.
How to Create a ZIP or 7z Archive (and Which One to Choose)
Create ZIP and 7z archives on Windows, macOS, Linux and phones: built-in options, 7-Zip settings that matter, passwords, splitting large archives, and how to check the result.
Archive File Extensions: ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR.GZ and the Names That Lie
A practical dictionary of archive extensions, double extensions, Windows hiding the real type, and how to tell a ZIP from a RAR when the name is wrong.
Solid Compression Explained: Why One Bad Byte Ruins Later Files
Solid RAR and 7z archives share one compression block. Learn why extracting a single file can be slow, why a CRC error spreads, and how that differs from ZIP.
Safety and privacy
How to handle archives from unknown senders, and what browser-side extraction does and does not protect.
Archive Safety: How to Open ZIP, RAR and 7z Files Without Getting Malware
How criminals use archives to deliver malware, the warning signs in file names and emails, what extraction tools block, and a practical checklist before you open any archive.
Is Extracting Archives in the Browser Private? How to Check It Yourself
How in-browser extraction with WebAssembly works, what is and is not sent over the network, how to verify "no upload" yourself in developer tools, and the remaining privacy risks.