Zipping Files On Mac For Pc

Files you download from the Internet are often compressed or zipped so that they take up less space and arrive much faster than files that haven’t been compressed. You can easily identify compressed files by their extensions, such as .zip (a common standard used in OS X and Windows) and .sit. Before you can use these files, you must learn how to unzip files on mac computers for proper access – luckily the process isn’t that complicated!

Unable To Unzip File Mac
Mac Unzip Zip File
Zipping Files On Mac For Pc Windows 8
Free File Zipping
Zip Mac Files For Pc

How to unzip files on mac computers

Unzipping a file on a mac computer is user-friendly and intuitive. To unzip files on a mac, simply follow the steps below:

We can encrypt the zip file so that anyone - on Mac or PC - will have to enter the password to use or view the file or folder. In fact the process really isn't scary: you just need to spend a few.
With WinZip for the Mac, you can right click (or press the CTRL button and click) files and folders to create a Zip file. When you right click a file, the context menu will display and you will find two WinZip features at the bottom of the Services submenu. Those features are Email as Zip File and Add to Zip File.
Follow these steps to open zip files on Mac: Click the Unzip button. From the drop down menu, choose to unzip your files to this Mac, iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Google Drive. A 'Finder style' window will open. You can browse to the folder where you want the files saved. Choose to unzip the Entire Zip file.

Double click the zipped file.
The file will automatically be decompressed by Archive Utility into the same folder the compressed file is in.
Access the extracted files by clicking the appropriate icons.

How to make a zip file on your Mac computer, to save some storage space and clear digital clutter How to view hidden files on a Mac computer in 2 different ways, to find out more information about. How to Open and Unzip a Zip File on Mac. Opening a zip file to view its contents is pretty straightforward. Just double-click on the file, and it will open. The zip file can still be seen in the location folder, but an unzipped copy will also be created in the same location.

Alternatively, if the method above does not work, you can right-click on the .zip package, and select Open With > Archive Utility (default).

Apple and third party software

Apple used to include a program called StuffIt Expander to decompress zipped files, but doesn’t now that OS X lets you unzip files (but not .sit files). However, StuffIt from SmithMicro Software still comes in handy for opening other types of compressed files, notably the .sit or .sitx compressed types. Go to www.stuffit-expander.com or www.stuffit.com/mac/index.html to download a free version of the software or to splurge for the Deluxe version. In addition to compressing files, StuffIt Deluxe lets you encrypt and back up files.

Meanwhile, you can archive or create your own .zip files through OS X, which is useful if you’re e-mailing a number of meaty files to a friend. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) files you want to compress inside Finder and choose Compress Filename. The newly compressed files carry the .zip extension. The archive is created in the same location as the original file and is named originalfilename.zip. You can also choose File→Compress. If you compress a lot of files at once, the archive takes the name Archive.zip.

By default, compressed files are opened with the Archive Utility. It appears in the Dock (in Leopard) while the files are being unsqueezed, unless you choose to open them with Stuffit Expander or some other program.

How to zip files on a mac

On the flip side, you can also archive or create your own .zip files through OS X, which is useful if you’re e-mailing a number of meaty files to a client or friend. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to easily zip files on a mac:

Right-click or Ctrl-click the multiple files you want to compress (whether on the desktop or inside the Finder).
Select Compress Filename from the pop-up menu.
The files are now compressed in a .zip extension and the archive is created in the same location as the original file name, except with the .zip appended to its name.

On some Apple computers, you can also compress a file by simply choosing File→Compress. If you compress a lot of files at once, the archive takes the name Archive.zip.

Earlier, Google Drive either used to stop the download or throw an error if the download size exceeded 2GB. Later, Google added the functionality where files were divided into 2GB zip folders automatically. However, that didn’t solve the issue of zip files giving trouble to Drive users. Many people still face the Google Drive zipping files forever problem.

If you also face the issue of Google Drive zip downloads stuck or zip files fail to download, then you are at the right place. Here we will tell you six ways to possibly fix the issue. And as a bonus, you will also get to know a few tips to improve the zip download process.

Let’s get started.

1. Restart Computer

I have a habit of either hibernating or putting my laptop on sleep, which causes problems at times. The problem is mostly related to browsers due to issues in temporary files. So, if Google Drive is zipping files forever on your PC, you should start by restarting your computer. I know, I know ... but if only common sense was that common.

2. Follow the Right Steps

The zip downloads fail for most users due to the unintuitive nature of the download steps. The initial steps are logical i.e. select the folder or multiple files that you want to download and then click on the Download button. Google Drive will then start zipping your files. Once it finishes it, here’s what changes.

You will receive a Leave site pop-up at the top. Normally, pop-ups make sense with a yes or no button. But here things are different.

The text says ‘Changes you made may not be saved’. You are offered two options — leave and cancel. A regular user would think that the download for the zipped files will be canceled by clicking on the Leave button. So they click on Cancel. But that’s wrong. Pressing the Cancel button will stop the downloads. As strange as it may sound, you have to click on Leave. Doing that will start the download process of the zipped files.

Didn't Get Any Pop-up?

In case you don’t receive any pop-up, follow the below steps to fix it on Chrome.

Step 1: Open the link chrome://settings/ to go to Chrome Settings.

Step 2: Click on Advanced to reveal more settings.

Step 3: Under Privacy and Security, click on Site Settings.

Step 3: Scroll down and click on Pop-ups and redirects.

Step 4: If the pop-ups are blocked, click on the Add button next to Allow. Add https://drive.google.com to the allowed pop-ups.

Step 5: Close Chrome. Then try downloading the files. Do remember to click on Leave instead of Cancel in the pop-up.

Tip: Sometimes, downloads are blocked on Chrome. Find out how to unblock them.

Also on Guiding Tech

Google Photos vs Google Drive: Which One To Use for Storing Your Photos?

3. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

You should also try manually clearing temporary files of your browser such as cookies and cache. We have mentioned the steps for Google Chrome browser.

Step 1: Again go to the settings page by typing in chrome://settings/ in the address bar or finding it from the Chrome menu.

Step 2: Scroll down and you will find the Advanced option. Click on it to reveal more settings.

Step 3: Under Privacy and security, click on Clear browsing data.

Step 4: Select the checkbox available next to ‘Cached images and files’ and ‘Cookies and other site data’. Uncheck others. Finally, hit the Clear data button.

Step 5: Close Chrome and launch it again. Then try downloading your zip files from Drive.

4. Try a Different Browser

If your current browser fails to download zip files, try it in a different browser.

5. Sign Into Correct Account

If you are signed into multiple Google accounts on your browser, sign out from all of them. Keep only one account signed in from where you want to download Google Drive files.

6. Reset Google Chrome Settings

Sometimes, the issue could be due to an extension or incorrect settings. So resetting Chrome will fix it. Even though your data is safe when you reset it, do read what happens when you reset Chrome.

To reset it, open Chrome Settings. Then, tap on Advanced. Scroll down to the bottom and click on ‘Restore settings to their original defaults’. Confirm by clicking on Reset.

Also on Guiding Tech

#troubleshooting

Click here to see our troubleshooting articles page

Where Are Zipped Files Downloaded

Typically, the files will be available in the Downloads folder on your PC. However, if you have changed the download location, they will be available in the new folder.

Tips to Improve Zip Download on Google Drive

Follow the below steps to ease the process of downloading zip files from Google Drive.

1. Download in Incognito Mode

If the zip files are giving you trouble while downloading in the normal browsing mode, try downloading it in the incognito mode.

2. Download Files Instead of the Folder

Instead of downloading a folder, select multiple files inside it and then download them. Some users have suggested that this trick quickened the zipping process for them.

3. Use Backup and Sync from Google

Unable To Unzip File Mac

Google Drive has dedicated apps for both Windows and Mac. You should install those for downloading huge files from Drive. Besides being user-friendly, it doesn’t zip files, so the overall process of downloading files is fast. Do read our guide on how to use Backup and Sync from Google.

4. Download Multiple Files

Downloading multiple files from Drive will always create a zip file, which may seem slow for some users. If you don’t want to install the Google Drive apps yet want to download files without zipping and quickly, check out our dedicated post for the same.

Also on Guiding Tech

Google Drive Sharing Permissions Explained: A Detailed Guide

Zip Along!

Hopefully one of the above tips did it for you and you were able to zip past (no pun intended) this annoying problem. In case you're still stuck, maybe your internet speed (or something else like the ISP's DNS) is to blame? Try to explore that angle and see if it works.

Next up: Is your Google Drive storage space running out? Know what counts towards storage quota on Google Drive. Check the article below.

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

Mac Unzip Zip File