How to Unzip WAR Files in Windows

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Web Archive Files (WAR) are just like any other .zip files in the sense that they are auto-compressed in a directory and need "unzipped" in order to be used. WAR files are a bit more complicated than a typical .zip file in that they are not directly executable files (ie double-clicking on the file name does not unzip them). However, there is a relatively easy and straightforward way to unzip WAR files in Microsoft Window's environment. Downloading a simple unzip program like WinZip is the easiest and fastest way to browse through WAR files.

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Step 1

Download WinZip (see Resources). Click on "Download Now" and either pick the trial version or the buy it now version of the program. Follow the onscreen instructions to download the program to a directory on your computer.

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Step 2

Browse your computer's drives and locate the WinZip.exe setup file. Double-click the file and follow the onscreen instructions to have the Setup Wizard walk you through the steps setting up your WinZip program.

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Step 3

Double-click the WinZip program icon to open the program.

Step 4

Click on "File" followed by "Open" and browse through the directories until you find the name of the WAR file you want to open.

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Step 5

Click on the filename and then select "Open." With the file open, select "Extract All."

Step 6

Browse to the location where you want the extracted files to be saved and click "Continue."

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