People who want to transfer a number of files online usually make an archive of those file first. ZIP is the common archive file format chosen by most internet users. You need a specific tool to open a ZIP file. In the desktop environment there are such tools as WinZip, 7-Zip, Unzip to Gnome Archive Manager to handle a ZIP file. What if you have to open a ZIP file on Google Drive?

Well, you can actually adopt the conventional method on how to deal with a ZIP file in Google Drive. You can download it first to your computer and open or extract it using an unzip tool installed on your computer. For an efficiency reason you might want to unzip a ZIP file directly in Google Drive instead of downloading it. Unfortunately, Google Drive has no feature to handle the task you want. Well actually, you can see the contents of ZIP file but you won’t be able to preview those contents.

ZIP Extractor is a nice extension to help you unzip the ZIP files in Google Drive. Here is how to use the extension.

Install ZIP Extractor

The first thing you need do before using ZIP Extractor is surely install it first.

• Login to Google Drive with your Google account and click the NEW button. Select More –> Connect more apps.

• Search for “ZIP Extractor” on the available search box and click the Connect button.

Using ZIP Extractor

Now after installing ZIP Extractor you can use the tool to handle ZIP files in a better way. On the first use you will be asked to make an authorization to let ZIP Extractor access your Google Drive account.

• Specify a ZIP file you want to unzip and double click the file.
• A new tab will open. Click the Authorize button to make an authorization. You will only need to do this once.

• Specify a destination folder where you want to save the unzipped files and click the Extract now button.

• Wait until the extracting process is done and click the View extracted files button to see the contents of a ZIP file you have just extracted.