How to open Windows Outlook 2016 zip folder and files attachment

The ZIP file is an archived file that can contain one or more files of any type. ZIP files are compressed to reduce the size of the files so that they can be electronically transmitted. You can open ZIP files in Microsoft Outlook. However, depending on the configuration of your email client and your version of Windows, you may need to first save the compressed file to your hard drive before opening it.

Step-by-Step

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook and then open the email containing the ZIP attachment.
  2. Double-click on the attachment link just under the subject of the message to download the ZIP file to your hard drive. Click “Open” to open the ZIP file in File Explorer. The ZIP file opens in File Explorer, displaying the individual files. You can also click the “Save” option to save the ZIP file to your hard drive. Double-click the saved ZIP file to open the compressed archive in File Explorer.
  3. Click the “Compressed Folder Tools” tab in the top navigation bar of File Explorer.
  4. Click the “Extract All” option on the top navigation bar in File Explorer to extract and save all files in the archive. You can also drag individual files out of the compressed archive, then drop them into a new location to extract individual files.
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