Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
---|---|
Fix 1. Expand Zip Files Use Terminal | Go to the "Launch Finder" option and select the "Applications" option on your Mac...Full steps |
Fix 2. Expand Zip Files with Software | Go to the "App Store" by clicking on the "Dock" option. Locate the app "Stuffit Expander" in...Full steps |
Fix 3. Recover Lost Zip Files | After going through the detailed steps for solving the unable to expand zip on Mac error...Full steps |
Unable to Expand Zip on Mac Overview
Zip is the common file format offering excellent size benefits to users. It is easy to reduce the file size significantly and make it accessible for optimized storage. Expanding zip files results in the regular size and function of the files. However, Mac users may sometime face the unable to expand the zip on Mac problem.
Incomplete compression, file size issues, not having required permissions for zip, or incomplete downloads can cause the unable to expand zip on Mac error 1. So, today we bring detailed fixes for this error that can be used by beginners and professionals easily. Before that, below is a video guide on fixing the inability to expand zip on Mac, and the highlights are listed below:
- 02:20 Entering the unzip code
- 02:35 Renaming the file
- 03:10 Expanding the files
- 04:15 List of the expanding files
How to Fix "Unable to Expand Zip on Mac" Error with Terminal
Before jumping to the solutions for the zip file opening error, it is essential to know about the top reasons causing this error on your Mac. Some of the top reasons causing expansion errors on Mac are:
- Incomplete compression: The common reason for a zip file causing issues in expanding can be its incomplete compression. An incomplete compression can be due to changes in the file location, power failure, or a system shutting down suddenly. All these disruptions cause the zip file to be damaged and unable to expand on Mac.
- File size issues: Next, Mac cannot decompress the heavy zip files. While the Mac Terminal utility can expand the zip files, it may show error codes for the heavy zip files.
- Permission problems: Some zip files require permission for expansion. These are the files from private sources having confidential information. Hence, you must get desired passwords or permissions before trying to expand the zip files on your Mac.
- Download incomplete: Last but not least, zip expanding errors can be due to incomplete download of the file. These incomplete downloads can be due to poor internet connection or server errors. Further, exiting the download window before the completion may cause an incomplete file download.
After learning the reasons, are you searching for the best working fix for the unable to expand zip on Mac error? You're at the right place. Do you know about the Terminal utility on your Mac?
Steps to fix the unable to expand zip on Mac error with Terminal:
Step 1. Go to the "Launch Finder" option and select the "Applications" option on your Mac.
Step 2. Go to the "Utilities" option and double-click on the "Terminal" option.
Step 3. Now, input the Unzip filename.zip command. Here, replace the filename with the name of the zip file you want to expand. Then, press enter.
Step 4. The selected zip file will expand right away.
Download Software to Fix 'Unable to Expand Zip on Mac' Error 1
While trying to expand the zip file on your Mac, you may face an "Error 1- Operation not permitted" message on the screen. One of the most common zip errors calls for an exclusive solution. The Terminal utility method mentioned above may not work for certain zip files. Further, professional zip handlers can't manage multiple zip files manually using this command option. The chances are high that you may end up entering the wrong file names or commands.
So, after knowing about the Terminal utility, how about having dedicated software to fix the "unable to expand zip on Mac" error? It is best to have an efficient decompression utility software like Stuffit Expander on your Mac to manage all possible zip file expanding issues. It can expand the zip files not opened using the terminal option. Further, a dedicated zip decompression utility ensures an easy, secure, and reliable method for expanding zip files.
Steps to use Stuffit Expander to expand zip files on Mac:
Step 1. Go to the "App Store" by clicking on the "Dock" option.
Step 2. Locate the app "Stuffit Expander" in the app store. Click on the "Get" option and start the application installation process on your Mac.
Step 3. Once installed, go to the "Spotlight" option and search for the "Stuffit Expander" option to open it. Click on the app icon to open it.
Step 4. Search the zip file required for unzipping and click "Open."
Step 5. Now, select the folder where you want to unzip the file.
Step 6. The app will unzip the compressed file shortly.
Retrieve Lost Zip Files on Mac with Recovery Software
After going through the detailed steps for solving the unable to expand zip on Mac error, are you worried about recovering your lost zip files? You may have been scratching your head after accidentally deleting the important zip files on your Mac or emptying the Trash bin. Well, there is no need to panic as it is easy to recover lost Zip files from Mac with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.
Mac users facing issues with corrupted zip files can turn confidently to the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It is a powerful tool with reliable recovery capabilities. It helps you recover Trash Mac and recover partition Mac. Some of the data loss scenarios which EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can effectively handle are not limited to deleting, formatting, virus attack, hard drive damage, partition loss, etc. Further, it is useful for cases like unmounted drive, repartition, operation error, system crash, and macOS Ventura installation failed.
Beginner and professional Mac users can go for this easy-to-operate software to quickly find lost zip files or repair corrupted zip files. So, the following are the quick steps to use the feature-rich EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac:
Note: You can create a backup by clicking the "Disk Backup" on the left first. The software will recover the document from the backup image. It can prevent further damage to your disk and data, making it safer and more reliable.
Step 1. Scan for lost documents
Select the location where your important Word/Excel/PPT/Numbers/Pages documents were lost and click "Search for lost files".
![select a location and scan for lost documents on Mac](/images/en/screenshot/data-recovery-mac/products/recover-data-step1.png)
Step 2. Find lost documents on Mac
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately start a scan on your selected disk volume. Meanwhile, the scanning results will be presented in the left pane. Select "Documents" and you can quickly filter the DOC/PDF/PPT/XLS files you've lost earlier.
![choose the lost documents](/images/en/screenshot/data-recovery-mac/products/recover-document-step2.png)
Step 3. Recover lost/deleted documents
Select the target files and preview them by double-clicking them. Then, click "Recover" to get lost documents back at once.
![recover lost documents from Mac](/images/en/screenshot/data-recovery-mac/products/recover-document-step3.png)
Summary
Hope everything is clear to our readers about the unable to expand zip on Mac error details. Zip files may create problems when not transferred or downloaded accurately. Mac users can go for the in-built utility – Terminal or use a decompression utility software – Stuffit Expander, for expanding the zip files on their system.
When looking for the best solution to retrieve lost zip files on Mac, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is what you need the most. It is an amazing software that works perfectly on M1/ M2/ T2 series chips. It can securely and accurately solve different data loss cases and can recover deleted files mac.
Unable to Expand Zip on Mac FAQs
After going through the detailed solutions for the unable to expand zip on Mac error, readers may have some questions related to the same. So, below are some of the top and frequently asked questions on solving the problem of expanding zip on Mac error:
1. Why can't I expand a zip file on my Mac?
Expanding a zip file on your Mac may cause issues if it is not downloaded properly. It can be due to poor internet connection or other issues causing transfer errors. These errors affect the zip file and may make it unable to expand on Mac.
2.Can I recover a deleted zip file on Mac?
It is easy to recover deleted files Mac using an efficient data recovery tool like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. It is a powerful and comprehensive data recovery software for Mac and other devices that can handle multiple data loss situations securely and accurately.
Further, Mac users can go to the "Time Machine" utility to recover permanently deleted files in the system. It is an amazing backup utility that quickly saves the selected files to a backup disk.
3. How do you expand a zip file on Mac?
Expanding a zip file on Mac is easy by double-clicking on the ".zip" file. The unzipped file will appear in the same folder as that of the zip file on Mac.
4. How to fix the unable to expand zip on Mac error 1?
It is easy to fix the "unable to expand zip on Mac error 1" by using a leading decompression utility software – Stuffit Expander. The quick steps to use Stuffit Expander to fix this error are as follows:
- 1. Go to the "App Store" by clicking on the "Dock" option.
- 2. Locate the app "Stuffit Expander" in the app store. Click on the "Get" option and start the application installation process on your Mac.
- 3. Once installed, go to the "Spotlight" option and search for the "Stuffit Expander" option to open it. Click on the app icon to open it.
- 4. Search the zip file required for unzipping and click "Open."
- 5. Now, select the folder where you want to unzip the file.
- 6. The app will unzip the compressed file shortly.
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Dany is an editor of EaseUS who lives and works in Chengdu, China. She focuses on writing articles about data recovery on Mac devices and PCs. She is devoted to improving her writing skills and enriching her professional knowledge. Dany also enjoys reading detective novels in her spare time.
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