creating batch script to unzip a file without additional zip tools

Question

I'm trying to make a .bat script for windows 7 x64 to create a folder, unzip a file into that folder without having to use additional addons like 7zip or unzip. Been searching and it seemed like windows doesn't have builtins to allow unzip easily in command. Can I unzip/expand files without additional addons?

Answer 1

Try this:

@echo off
setlocal
cd /d %~dp0
Call :UnZipFile "C:\Temp\" "c:\path\to\batch.zip"
exit /b

:UnZipFile <ExtractTo> <newzipfile>
set vbs="%temp%\_.vbs"
if exist %vbs% del /f /q %vbs%
>%vbs%  echo Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
>>%vbs% echo If NOT fso.FolderExists(%1) Then
>>%vbs% echo fso.CreateFolder(%1)
>>%vbs% echo End If
>>%vbs% echo set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
>>%vbs% echo set FilesInZip=objShell.NameSpace(%2).items
>>%vbs% echo objShell.NameSpace(%1).CopyHere(FilesInZip)
>>%vbs% echo Set fso = Nothing
>>%vbs% echo Set objShell = Nothing
cscript //nologo %vbs%
if exist %vbs% del /f /q %vbs%

Revision

To have it perform the unzip on each zip file creating a folder for each use:

@echo off
setlocal
cd /d %~dp0
for %%a in (*.zip) do (
    Call :UnZipFile "C:\Temp\%%~na\" "c:\path\to\%%~nxa"
)
exit /b

If you don't want it to create a folder for each zip, change Call :UnZipFile "C:\Temp\%%~na\" "c:\path\to\%%~nxa" to Call :UnZipFile "C:\Temp\" "c:\path\to\%%~nxa"

Answer 2

If you have PowerShell 5.0 or higher (pre-installed with Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016):

powershell Expand-Archive your.zip -DestinationPath your_destination

Answer 3

Here is a quick and simple solution using PowerShell:

powershell.exe -nologo -noprofile -command "& { $shell = New-Object -COM Shell.Application; $target = $shell.NameSpace('C:\extractToThisDirectory'); $zip = $shell.NameSpace('C:\extractThis.zip'); $target.CopyHere($zip.Items(), 16); }"

This uses the built-in extract functionality of the Explorer and will also show the typical extract progress window. The second parameter 16 to CopyHere answers all questions with yes.

Answer 4

Here's my overview about built-in zi/unzip (compress/decompress) capabilities in windows - How can I compress (/ zip ) and uncompress (/ unzip ) files and folders with batch file without using any external tools?

To unzip file you can use this script :

zipjs.bat unzip -source C:\myDir\myZip.zip -destination C:\MyDir -keep yes -force no

Answer 5

Another approach to this issue could be to create a self extracting executable (.exe) using something like winzip and use this as the install vector rather than the zip file. Similarly, you could use NSIS to create an executable installer and use that instead of the zip.