As much as a Mac has a built-in defense mechanism, attackers use ZIP archives to surpass the defense, infect the computer and collect information about the system. The ability to conceal content is what makes ZIP files a hacker's best friend. But they can potentially be - when cybercriminals use them to infiltrate Mac systems. Unless a Mac user uses third-party software, they cannot tell what's inside the zipped folder without opening the file. Usually, ZIP files don't display their content. Unfortunately, cybercriminals also use ZIP files to advance their course. These two features make the ZIP file format one of the most common ways people share files and collections of files online.

At that point, you can double-click the folder to access the files.ZIP file bundles multiple files into a single container file and also compresses them. When the files are unzipped, the progress bar will disappear. You’ll see a progress bar for the duration of the unzipping process. Click “OK” to unzip the files to the folder. The folder you select is where the files inside of the 7z archive will be extracted.Ĩ. Click the “…” button to choose a folder to store the files. Press Ctrl+A to select all of the files in the archive, then click “Extract”.ħ. The contents of the archive will display in the 7-Zip window.Ħ. Double-click the 7z file you want to open. Follow the prompts to complete the 7-Zip installation.ĥ. Select a save location (such as Desktop), then click “Save”.Ĥ. Click “Download” next to the file for your version (32-bit or 64-bit) of Windows.ģ. Because 7z files are compressed archives, you can’t view their contents until the files are extracted with an unzipping programĢ. Let the decompression of the 7z complete before attempting to open or interact with the extracted files contents On Windowsġ. 7z file on your Mac and it will open and uncompress like any other archive format, or you can launch Unarchiver and drag and drop 7z files into the utilityĤ. 7z files (you can select others if you wish)ģ. Launch Unarchiver and you’ll see a file association list, tell Unarchiver to associate with. First you need to download Unarchiver (it’s free, you can also get it from the Mac App Store)Ģ.

Follow these steps to open and decompress.

Unzip a 7z file mac