Jun 19, 2018. Nov 09, 2016. Download flash for mac. Jul 11, 2018.
Files you download from the Internet are often compressed or zipped so that they take up less space and arrive much faster than files that haven’t been compressed. You can easily identify compressed files by their extensions, such as .zip (a common standard used in OS X and Windows) and .sit. Before you can use these files, you must learn how to unzip files on mac computers for proper access – luckily the process isn’t that complicated!
How to unzip files on mac computers
Unzipping a file on a mac computer is user-friendly and intuitive. To unzip files on a mac, simply follow the steps below:
- Double click the zipped file.
- The file will automatically be decompressed by Archive Utility into the same folder the compressed file is in.
- Access the extracted files by clicking the appropriate icons.
Change File Extension Mac
Alternatively, if the method above does not work, you can right-click on the .zip package, and select Open With > Archive Utility (default).
Mac File Extensions List
Apple and third party software
Apple used to include a program called StuffIt Expander to decompress zipped files, but doesn’t now that OS X lets you unzip files (but not .sit files). Vmware 8.5 mac download. However, StuffIt from SmithMicro Software still comes in handy for opening other types of compressed files, notably the .sit or .sitx compressed types. Go to www.stuffit-expander.com or www.stuffit.com/mac/index.html to download a free version of the software or to splurge for the Deluxe version. In addition to compressing files, StuffIt Deluxe lets you encrypt and back up files.
Meanwhile, you can archive or create your own .zip files through OS X, which is useful if you’re e-mailing a number of meaty files to a friend. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) files you want to compress inside Finder and choose Compress Filename. The newly compressed files carry the .zip extension. The archive is created in the same location as the original file and is named originalfilename.zip. You can also choose File→Compress. If you compress a lot of files at once, the archive takes the name Archive.zip.
By default, compressed files are opened with the Archive Utility. It appears in the Dock (in Leopard) while the files are being unsqueezed, unless you choose to open them with Stuffit Expander or some other program.
How to zip files on a mac
On the flip side, you can also archive or create your own .zip files through OS X, which is useful if you’re e-mailing a number of meaty files to a client or friend. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to easily zip files on a mac:
- Right-click or Ctrl-click the multiple files you want to compress (whether on the desktop or inside the Finder).
- Select Compress Filename from the pop-up menu.
- The files are now compressed in a .zip extension and the archive is created in the same location as the original file name, except with the .zip appended to its name.
On some Apple computers, you can also compress a file by simply choosing File→Compress. If you compress a lot of files at once, the archive takes the name Archive.zip.
How is this home drive shared?
OS X can use file extensions or meta-data about the file in order to determine the file type and how to open it. If stored to a native OS X HFS+ filesystem, then the meta-data is stored within the filesystem itself. On network shares that are AFP volumes, the meta-data is sent along with the file information and the host environment figures out how to store it -- most importantly is that OS X basically sees the file and meta-data just like a native volume.
If you use a non-OS X protocol like SMB/CIFS or NFS, OS X will write the file data and the meta-data separately. The meta-data is stored in a file with the prefix '._'. So, say you have a file named 'My Document', there would be in the same directory a file called '._My Document' created that has all the meta-data. When a Mac accesses a non-native filesystem, the operating system knows to use the dot-underscore files and it does the correct thing when copying files back and forth (merging the meta-data back into the native filesystem, for example).
In your scenario, it sounds as if the meta-data is being lost. This could happen if the meta-data files were deleted for some reason, or the file server prohibited access to files starting with '.', or any of a slew of other reasons. You might consider using the Terminal to check if the meta-data files exist and are accessible.
OS X can use file extensions or meta-data about the file in order to determine the file type and how to open it. If stored to a native OS X HFS+ filesystem, then the meta-data is stored within the filesystem itself. On network shares that are AFP volumes, the meta-data is sent along with the file information and the host environment figures out how to store it -- most importantly is that OS X basically sees the file and meta-data just like a native volume.
If you use a non-OS X protocol like SMB/CIFS or NFS, OS X will write the file data and the meta-data separately. The meta-data is stored in a file with the prefix '._'. So, say you have a file named 'My Document', there would be in the same directory a file called '._My Document' created that has all the meta-data. When a Mac accesses a non-native filesystem, the operating system knows to use the dot-underscore files and it does the correct thing when copying files back and forth (merging the meta-data back into the native filesystem, for example).
In your scenario, it sounds as if the meta-data is being lost. This could happen if the meta-data files were deleted for some reason, or the file server prohibited access to files starting with '.', or any of a slew of other reasons. You might consider using the Terminal to check if the meta-data files exist and are accessible.
Jan 14, 2010 11:27 AM