On Macs, you should simply be able to double click on the zipped file to unzip it.

However, if you receive the following error:

“Unable to unarchive into Desktop” (Error 1 – Operation not permitted.) or “Decompression Failed”

then follow the steps below for alternative unzipping processes.

First, double check to make sure the file has fully downloaded.

If the file size has fully downloaded then there are two options to overcome this error message.

Unzip in Terminal

One solution is to use Terminal, a built-in program on the Mac.

1. Open Terminal. You can use the Mac search at the top right and start typing Terminal. It will appear, click on it to open the program.
2. Type “unzip” and a space, then drag/drop the zip file into the Terminal window.
3. Press Enter and the zip file will be unzipped, storing all files on your computer.

Your unzipped files will go to your user account folder which you can easily access using Finder.

Use Zipeg to Unzip

Another option is to use a different program to unzip the file. One popular option is The Unarchiver.