ZIP files hold several compressed files inside, reducing how much space they take on your hard drive. They need to be unzipped to use the files, though. Here's how to do it.

Occasionally, you'll need to open several compressed files from one ZIP folder. While Windows does a fine job extracting, there are better tools to unzip.

How to create a .tar.gz file on Windows Download and install 7-Zip on your Windows computer. Select the files you want to include in the .tar.gz file.

Luckily, since ZIP files are so common, they're incredibly easy to unzip. Here's how to unzip files on nearly any device, whether it be a computer, tablet, or smartphone.