What is a .ZI file?
A .ZI file is a type of file that is really a Zip file, but its name has been changed. Instead of ending in .zip, it ends in .zi. Inside a ZI file, there are one or more files that have been squished together to make them smaller. This is done using something called Zip-compression, which helps save space on your computer or when you're sending files over the internet.
People sometimes change the .zip part of a file's name to .zi on purpose. They do this because some email programs won't let you send or receive .ZIP files, thinking they might be dangerous. By changing the name to .zi, these files can sneak past the email filters.
If you have a .ZI file, you can open it with different programs. Some of these programs include unzip, Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe, Corel WinZip, 7-Zip, PKZip, TUGZip, and the Apple Archive Utility that comes with Mac computers. To actually use the files inside a .ZI file, you first need to change its name back to .zip. Once you've done that, you can open it with any program that works with Zip files, like the ones mentioned above. These programs let you see and use the files that were squished inside the .ZI file. After you're done, if you need to, you can squish the files back into a Zip file using one of those programs, and then change the name back to .zi if you need to send it through email again.
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