How to "Unzip" .ZIP files Using PKunzip and DOS Commands

No need to fret, just read on.

A .ZIP file contains multiple files that have been compressed using the PKzip compression program. The files are compressed to save disk space and download time. Here's a quick and dirty guide to unzipping .ZIP files with PKunzip, the companion decompression program to PKzip.

NOTE: This guide explains how to unzip .ZIP files from the MS-DOS prompt using PKunzip and DOS commands. PKunzip is a DOS program that does not require Windows to run. You can use PKunzip from a Windows 3.x system or from a Windows 95 system - just go to the MS-DOS prompt (as explained below) and run the commands. I have created another quick and dirty guide that explains how to configure PKzip for use from within Windows 3.x, using the File Manager.

Quick and Dirty Guide to Using PKunzip from the DOS Prompt:

1. Download pkunzip.exe, the program that unzips .ZIP files, from this site: http://ccic.ifcss.org/ftp-pub/software/dos/utils/pkunzip.exe

2. If you are in Windows, go to the MS-DOS prompt. In Windows 3.x, simply double click on the MS-DOS icon in the Main group to do this. In Windows 95, click on "Start," "Programs," and "MS-DOS Prompt."

3. Copy pkunzip.exe from the directory to which it downloaded to C:\DOS if you are using DOS and/or Windows 3.x, or to C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND, if you are using Windows 95. In the example below, replace the "dirname" directory with the name of the directory to which pkunzip.exe actually downloaded. (If you don't know which directory pkunzip.exe downloaded to, see the explanation on how to use "dir /s" at the end of these instructions.)

       copy c:\dirname\pkunzip.exe c:\dos [ENTER]
   
                            OR
   
       copy c:\dirname\pkunzip.exe c:\windows\command [ENTER]
   

4. Now, make a new directory for the downloaded game using the DOS "md" command. For this example, we'll call the directory "suprgame":

             md c:\suprgame [ENTER]

5. Copy the downloaded game file into the "suprgame" directory using the DOS "copy" command:

             copy c:\dirname\game.zip c:\suprgame [ENTER]

6. Change to the c:\suprgame directory using the DOS "cd" command:

             cd\suprgame [ENTER]

7. Since pkunzip.exe was copied to your C:\DOS (or C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND) directory, it is in your system "path" and you can run it from anywhere on your system, including the c:\suprgame directory. You can now unzip game.zip using pkunzip.exe.

             pkunzip game.zip [ENTER]

   The files contained in game.zip will be extracted into the c:\suprgame directory.

   TO UNZIP OTHER .ZIP FILES, REPEAT STEPS 4 - 7, ABOVE.

8. Most games need to be "installed" before they can actually be used. If so, there should be a file with an obvious name, like "setup" or "install" among the extracted files. Run that file to install the game. For example:

             install [ENTER]

9. In addition, there may be a "readme" file that was extracted with the game files. Read it with the DOS text editor (edit) or a word processor for installation tips and other important information (such as the amount of RAM needed, etcetera). For example:

             edit readme.txt [ENTER]

10. If the game is a Windows game, you may need to run a "setup" program from Windows to install it. Return to Windows and choose "File", "Run" and then type this into the dialog box:

              c:\suprgame\setup.exe

    Then click on O.K.

11. When you are done at the DOS prompt, type "exit" to return to Windows (if you came from Windows).

              exit [ENTER]

Brock Wood

Second, go to the root directory of your C: drive.

c: [ENTER]
cd\ [ENTER]

Third, use DIR /S to search your entire hard drive for pkunzip.exe.

dir pkunzip.exe /s [ENTER]

Fourth, the directory to which pkunzip.exe downloaded should appear.

c:\dirname\pkunzip.exe

Fifth, write down the name of the directory and substitute it for "dirname" in the instructions above.

Sixth, type "exit" to return to windows, if needed.

exit [ENTER]