Can Zip Files Be Opened With Firefox?
Zipped files, also known as zip files, are a type of archive that contain one or more files that have been compressed. Many downloads are provided as zip files as the reduced file size -- because of compression -- puts less stress on the download server and requires less time for you to download.
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Background
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When you download games, programs, music or video files from the Internet or your email, you may download a zip archive rather than the direct file. Some websites allow you the option to choose between a zip archive or the direct file, as may be the case with executable applications. Because image formats such as JPEG and GIF already use compression, zip archiving doesn't drastically reduce the file size of these files and you'll most likely download these files directly.
Significance
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When you acquire a zip archive, you need to decompress or unzip it to access the files within. You can only view the contents but can't edit or manipulate them when the archive is still compressed. However, Firefox serves only as a delivery method for zip files and the browser isn't capable of opening these files.
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Solution
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By default, the Windows and Mac operating systems allow you to decompress basic archives, such as zip files. After downloading the file, you can double-click the archive to unzip it with the Mac operating system or right-click and click "Extract All" if using Windows. Microsoft has included the ability to extract zip archives since the release of Windows XP.
Considerations
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Not all compressed archives use the zip format. Some may have the ".rar" or ".sit" extensions. As of May 2011, Windows Explorer can't extract ".rar" files, for example. Therefore, you may have to download a third-party software solution such as WinRAR, which is both MAC and Windows compatible, to decompress these archives.
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