# is there a free zip program that works like Winzip?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-free-zip-program-that-works-like-winzip/739031>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 30, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-free-zip-program-that-works-like-winzip/739031 "2015-11-30T15:00:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-free-zip-program-that-works-like-winzip/739031/21 "2015-12-01T14:53:09Z")

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Another vote for 7zip.

Also, if you use its native 7zip format, you get better compression. And since the goddamn email system here where I work blocks ALL .zip attachments, if we need to send each other something .7z files are not blocked.

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**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-free-zip-program-that-works-like-winzip/739031/22 "2015-12-01T15:56:53Z")

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> [@chappachula](#):
>
> I had no problems with XP. But now I’m using Windows 7–and right-clicking only allows zipping , but no unzipping. Which is pretty damned stupid.

Hmmm…Windows 7 has always had an “Extract All…” right-click menu item for me. I’m looking at it right now. That is how you un-zip archives.

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**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-free-zip-program-that-works-like-winzip/739031/23 "2015-12-01T17:50:52Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> In addition to **Doug K.**'s link which tells us that Win10 has both zip and unzip built in, Windows versions starting with XP have included unzip (but not zip) as a built-in function.
> 
> I’ll add another endorsement for 7-zip. Great tool if you do a lot of this kind of work.

Me, too. I especially like the fact that 7-zip has a command line interface, so that I can build a simple batch file to back up my important data, then set it to run every 24 hours automatically.

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**Author:** ![nate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nate/32/13085_2.png) [@nate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nate)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-free-zip-program-that-works-like-winzip/739031/24 "2015-12-01T18:13:50Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Hey, Luddite that I am, I used PKZIP and PKUNZIP on old DOS machines, since the days when Bill Gates was still in diapers. Throughout my experience with Windows up until a year or so ago, I continued to use those. The only time I ever needed to use WinZip was on occasion when someone sent me a WinZipped file that had something in it that PKUNZIP couldn’t understand.
> 
> ETA: BTW, Linux machines come with zip and unzip which seem to be more-or-less clones of PKZIP and PKUNZIP.

That brings back memories. My brain keeps thinking “PKZIP 2-0-4-G”… I guess 2.04g was the version I was using for so long. I think I actually paid for a license too.

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