Zip and Unzip in Windows Vista

unzipping in Vista SUCKS .... 2Mb zipped 2,5 Mb unzipped took 8 minutes !!!!

Come to think of it ... all of Vista Sucks ! Major dissappointment after XP...

Download WinRAR or another proper zip program and use that instead.

have to agree winzip in vista works maybe 50% the rest usless and time waster

What about security feature like other external software offer ? e.g. in winzip you can zip file with passward protection so that nobody can unzip it without passward. Is this feature there in Window Vista ?

My Ultimate Vista appears to have NO right click option for EXTRACTING FILES......so I cannot extract / unzip files. Isn't technology lovely! ;( I have yet to find how I can restore this. MS has been of little help.

Yes your article does not explain that when a zip files has a password. Vista cannot open it.

What should my default program be to open things with? Because right now it is paint shop por and it has no extract all option. Please help, Im desperate

Unzipping in Vista is currently not a possibility as right clicking opens it in Wordpad. How do I change the default for this?

My honest opinion is that you should scrap Vista and go back to making XP the #1 operating system.

This vista is not ready for the market as yet. It lacks many features to get the work done.

It is really a pain in the Butt!

I have been trying to unzip some files that I needed so badly to do a project and has not been successful.
Now what?

I've tried all the instructions here including command prompt instructions from other websites regarding unzipping files in Vista. None of the suggestions work and the file keeps defaulting to MS Word as the application to open the .zip file with ... this is so frustrating. This is why I don't particularly like MS products - there is always a place where you are going to hit a wall and have to buy other products to "make" MS products work. Microsoft are you listening?

When I inadvertantly chose media player for a zip folder default which contains pics I can no longer double click and open the folder to view files and I can not get back to windows vistas default program for this as I do not know what that might be. So I guess the BIG mistake is ever choosing a default program to open any type of zip file. If you highlight the folder and keep right clicking and dragging down, eventually you get a dialoge box that inquires if you want to extract files. So at least I can still get to the data. Whenever I zip now it ends up as a media player file in the compressed form and I cannot get back to the regular brown folder with a zipper on it. Bizarre.

I cannot get vista to unzip any of my files. These are school projects and are much needed. How does the unzip file work. The way it is suppose to work is not working. Do I need to purchase a new type of software? Please advice ASAP!

windows needs to make a better software. vista sucks dooodoo!!! i hope windows 7 is much better. lets wait and see.

Just like others here, I can't get Vista to unpzip anything. What a major pain in the behind. You'd think that such a simple feature THAT THEY CARRIED OVER FROM XP would actually work. Absolutely ridiculous!

I cant believe this. I have a zip file with 5000 xml files. Total filezise 4 Mb.

When I try to unzip it in Vista it takes 50 (FIFTY) minutes!

Yeah - we are all waiting for Windows 7 - cuz this will solve all our problems. Well - i tried to do the same in Windows 7 with the same result.

When Microsoft cant implement a basic Windows Explorer (well they made XP) then I do not see much hope. Why cant the send out an update? Dont they now their software suck?

In the meantime I will go and fire up my Mac to do it! Really hate to say it. I work with MS technologies everyday but I just think their stuff is becoming more and more crappy. My first step was to buy a Mac for private use.

If I cannot unzip a 4 Mb zipfile with 5000 files on Windows 7 when it releases in October I think this will be the nail in the coffin!

I cannot get any zip file to open properly, they are just garbage if they do open. I don't have the option when I right click, to extract files. I have spent so much time trying to figure out how to unzip files. This is ridiculous, I never had this issue with XP.

I have just purchased a new computer with Windows Vista on it. Hate it. Have some files that are unzipped, however, I cannot find the way to get them onto a Floppy Disk so that I can put them in my embroidery machine. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Had Windows XP and it was so easy to transfer to Floppy Disk.

If I have a file as .zip but it looks like it were a file that you can play with windows media but when you double click it says that windows media can't open it, it means I can't "extract all files" can someone help?

wtf I just tried the hint someone posted about right clicking while dragging down several times to get the extract option. I too, inadvertently had a different default program setup to open zips- in my case it was the vista photo explorer gallery or whatever. What a bunch of crap. Does anyone know how to reset the default for zip files and how vista opens them?

Thank you Dandman sooo much!
You've actially saved me a lot of trouble! Thank you!

im downloading music i purchased and have 2 unzip it.... this is mah first time trying this re: unzipping a music file.... I stopped by to read up on this. I got mah fingers crossed that I'll be able to find a button that says Extract All Files, in the music section where the download is going to.

yes... dandman... thats not a final solution to the problem but it sure as hell worked... thanks... you just helped me freee up countless mp3s

This does not work with Vista - I can open a Winzip in XP but Vista cant do it... total sucky - I'm going back to XP.

We ought to bring a class action against Microsoft and Vista - waste of money waste of time

My vista flickers opens, closes, and then keeps repeating this process until the end of time...

Mine does the same thing! I don't remember it always doing it though. Wonder if it was due to an update? I soooo wish I could figure out why!

i didn't have an extract all files button Dx

doulble clicking does not work

When I double click on a zipped music folder my media player opens straight away . I have no other window opening.

the extract all files button wasn't there

This article would be better if Vista actually did the stuff you claim it can do. Mine can't extract diddly.

got it first try to easy just use winRaR

Your inputs helped me to zip a file. I don't like Vista.

Mine somehow tries to open .zip files with notepad. this article doesn't tell me what do do when I can't find the right program to unzip it. Therefore, not helpful.

Unzip, are you kidding???? I've tried numerous times and all I get is Windows Internet Explorer flashing and flashing constantly. It keeps opening new explorer windows and I need to shutdown to get rid of it. Vista as others have said SUCK!! Also, no windows open to tell me to do anything.

MY SOLUTION: Like others, I could not extract zip files (MP3s in my case). Vista would not give me the option. I stumpled upon a solution. When I went to upload a zip file to my Yahoo account (to email to myself and try opening on a different PC), the file showed up as a zipped folder. From the upload box I could right click on the file and finally got the extract option. I had to click "allow" to a couple of messages, then create a new folder to send the extracted files, allow a couple more times, then success. Convoluted and random, but it worked.

Very good and informative. I like it.