Unzipping files is a common task that users need to perform to access the contents of compressed files. In the Windows environment, this can be done using built-in tools such as Command Prompt (CMD) and PowerShell. This article will guide you through the steps to unzip files using both CMD and PowerShell.

Unzipping Files Using CMD

Windows has a built-in utility called tar that can be used to unzip files from the command line. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open Command Prompt:

   • Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.

2. Navigate to the Directory:

   • Use the cd command to navigate to the directory where your zip file is located.

     cd path\to\your\directory

3. Unzip the File:

   • Use the tar command to unzip the file.

     tar -xf yourfile.zip

Unzipping Files Using PowerShell

PowerShell provides more advanced capabilities for unzipping files. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open PowerShell:

   • Press Win + X, select Windows PowerShell.

2. Navigate to the Directory:

   • Use the Set-Location cmdlet to navigate to the directory where your zip file is located.

     Set-Location -Path "path\to\your\directory"

3. Unzip the File:

   • Use the Expand-Archive cmdlet to unzip the file.

     Expand-Archive -Path yourfile.zip -DestinationPath .\unzipped

   • The -DestinationPath parameter specifies the folder where the contents will be extracted. In this example, it will create a folder named unzipped in the current directory.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Unzipping a File Using CMD

Suppose you have a file named example.zip in the C:\Downloads directory. Here’s how you can unzip it:

1. Open Command Prompt:

   cmd

2. Navigate to the Directory:

   cd C:\Downloads

3. Unzip the File:

   tar -xf example.zip

Example 2: Unzipping a File Using PowerShell

Suppose you have a file named example.zip in the C:\Downloads directory. Here’s how you can unzip it:

1. Open PowerShell:

   powershell

2. Navigate to the Directory:

   Set-Location -Path "C:\Downloads"

3. Unzip the File:

   Expand-Archive -Path example.zip -DestinationPath .\example_unzipped

Conclusion

Unzipping files in Windows can be efficiently done using either Command Prompt or PowerShell. Both methods offer straightforward commands to extract the contents of a zip file. Whether you prefer using CMD or PowerShell, you now have the knowledge to unzip files quickly and easily.