How to Extract the Google SDK for Android to a Folder on Your Desktop

The SDK includes an Android emulator and tools for developing Android apps.

Google distributes the Android software development kit in archived .zip format and .exe installer format. Google recommends using the installer, which installs the Android SDK to a system folder on your computer. You can use the .zip file Google provides to extract the Android SDK on your desktop if you want to use it without installing it on your system. After it’s unzipped, you can run the Android development utilities from within the SDK folder on your desktop.

Instructions

1. Open the Android SDK download page on the Android developer site at Developer.Android.com in your Web browser.

2. Click the “Android-sdk_[version]-windows.zip” link on the page to download the Windows .zip file package to your computer.

3. Double-click the downloaded “Android-sdk_[version]-windows.zip” file on your computer to open it in Windows Explorer. If you have .zip files associated with a third-party program, right-click the file, point to “Open With” and select “Windows Explorer.”

4. Click the “Extract All Files” button on the toolbar.

5. Click the “Browse” button in the extraction window that appears, select the “Desktop” location at the top of the destination window that appears and click “OK.”

6. Click the “Extract” button to extract the Android SDK to your desktop.

Tips & Warnings

• Double-click the “Android-sdk-windows” folder on your desktop to view the contents of the Android SDK.

References

• Microsoft: Compress and Uncompress Files (Zip Files)

Resources

• Android: Download the Android SDK