Last Updated: February 25, 2016

Use p7zip to open encrypted zip files

If you try to open an encrypted ZIP file but get cryptic errors such as:

$ unzip secret.zip
Archive: secret.zip
 skipping: secret.pdf need PK compat. v5.1 (can do v2.1)
 skipping: secret.txt need PK compat. v5.1 (can do v2.1)
 skipping:secret.xml need PK compat. v5.1 (can do v2.1)

Then install the p7zip tool. The standard unzip that ships with most Linux and Mac OSX systems, can't handle the encryption. p7zip (http://p7zip.sourceforge.net) is based on a newer version of the ZIP standard and handles encrypted zips:

 $ 7z x gooze-17194.zip 

7-Zip [64] 9.20 Copyright (c) 1999-2010 Igor Pavlov 2010年11月18日
p7zip Version 9.20 (locale=utf8,Utf16=on,HugeFiles=on,8 CPUs)

Processing archive: secret.zip

Extracting secret.pdf
Enter password (will not be echoed) :

Extracting secret.txt
Extracting secret.xml

Everything is Ok

Files: 3
Size: 25557
Compressed: 24101

#cli

#zip