Windows Extracting (unzipping) Files
In the lesson "Highlighting Sequential Files" you created two folders titled "Test One" and "Test Two." In the "Test One" folder you created five files titled "One, Two, Three, Four and Five." If you are at a different computer than the one where you created the preceding folders and files, go to the "Highlighting Sequential Files" lesson and create these folders and files, and then come back to this lesson. In the lesson "Zipping/Compressing Files" you made two zipped folders titled "Files" and "Files Two" and then copied these two zipped folders into the "Test Two" folder. If you are at a different computer than the one where you created these zipped folders, go to lesson "Zipping/Compressing Files" and complete the activity, and then come back to this lesson. In the last lesson we learned how to zip or compress files into a zipped folder. In this lesson we are going to reverse the process and unzip or extract the files that we have zipped.
It is important to note that if you use NLS BARD and download a talking book, that book is zipped or compressed. It will probably be saved to the "Downloads" folder. If you download any zipped item, be it a NLS BARD talking book or other item, and need to move to the "Downloads" folder quickly, do the following. Press and hold down the Windows key and hit the letter r to bring up the Windows "Run" command. Release the Windows key. Type "downloads" (without the quotes) and then hit the Enter key one time. You are instantly taken into the "List View"of the "Downloads" folder. You can down arrow to the zipped folder you want, and copy it to another drive or directory, or extract it right in the "Downloads" folder, and then copy the extracted folder to items such as your memory stick. There are other methods to quickly get to a downloaded file directly from the Internet. Control j in some cases will bring up the items that have been downloaded. Hitting the Application key on the item you just downloaded, and moving to "Open in folder" will take you directly to the "Downloads" folder and put you directly on the file.
Do the following activity to extract a zipped/compressed folder, and then explore that folder. When you are finished move to the link at the bottom of this page titled "BACK" to go to the "Simple Windows Lessons" web page.
1. Press and hold down the Windows key and hit the letter r to bring up the "run" command.
2. Release the keys.
3. Type "documents/test two" (without the quotes). You have just typed documents followed by the front slash followed by the word test followed by a space followed by the word two. This takes you directly into the "Test Two" sub folder in the "Documents" folder.
4. Down arrow, to the "Files Two" zipped or compressed folder, or up arrow if you need.
5. Hit the Applications key one time.
6. Down arrow to the "Extract all" menu item.
7. Hit the Enter key one time and a box will come up with in an edit box with the current drive and folder highlighted. If you hit Enter at this point the zipped folder will be extracted into the current or "Test Two" folder. You can type the letter of a drive, such as a USB memory stick, or you can Tab to the "Browse" button and hit the Spacebar to bring up a box that is much like the Windows File Explorer. You would need to move to the "Tree View," select a drive or folder, and then hit Enter. Because we have not yet worked with a USB memory stick, we are not going to type a drive letter or move to the "Browse" button. We are going to move on to step "8" below.
8. Hit the Enter key one time and the zipped folder titled "Files Two" will be extracted into the "Test Two" folder. A new window will pop up displayed the unzipped folder. You can up and down arrow to see if the files are in this folder. When this folder popped up it was a second open instance of Windows File Explorer. Press Alt F4 and this open folder will close. If you are not returned to the original "Test Two" folder, press Alt Tab to go there.
9. Down and up arrow through the "Test Two" folder and you should hear the zipped "Files Two" folder, and the unzipped "Files Two" folder.
NOTE: More advanced methods mentioned in step "7" above will be covered in the upcoming USB memory stick and external drive lessons. Just understanding the basic concept of what a zipped or compressed folder is, and how to unzip it is fine for now. Also, we used the build in Windows zip and unzip features. There are some far advanced zip and unzip programs such as "7 Zip" which gives you far greater control of how you zip and unzip folders.