This brief tutorial will show you how to open compressed files in Windows, using a terrific open source (free) program called 7-zip.

What: 7-Zip is a file archiver/decompresser with a high compression ratio.
Why: 7-Zip is open source software – you don’t need to register or pay for it. In fact, you can use it in a commercial organization. It allows you to extract the contents of many different types of compressed files, including .rar, .arj, .gz, .tar and .rpm. Unlike WinZIP and WinRAR, 7-zip is open source (free) – and works in 63 languages.
Where: 7-Zip works in Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP and can be downloaded from http://www.7-zip.org/

1. After you’ve installed 7-zip (which is as simple as clicking Next a couple of times) launch it by selecting Start -> Programs -> 7-Zip -> 7-Zip File Manager.


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2. Once it opens, select Tools from the top menu, and then Options from the drop-down list.



3. On the System tab, select the type of files you wish to use 7-Zip to open by placing checks in the appropriate boxes. Click OK when you’re done.


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4. Locate a compressed file that you’ve now associated with 7-Zip and double-click it.



5. 7-Zip will open that file, and display its contents in the main window. Select each (or all) of the files that you wish to extract, and then click the Extract button from the top menu.


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6. You’ll be prompted to save the files to a location on your hard drive. You can use the … button to navigate to a folder, or just type the location in the space provided. Click OK when you’ve selected a folder.


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7. The files will be extracted from the compressed file to the location you specified.



8. And there they are!


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