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To extract only certain files from a ZIP, open it in an archive utility that lets you select entries, choose the files you need, and extract them to a destination folder. For a precise macOS command-line method, bsdunzip accepts member paths so you can name exactly which files to extract.

Extract selected files with an archive utility

  1. Open the ZIP in an archive utility that displays its contents as a file list.

  2. Select the files or folders you want. For several separate entries, use the selection controls provided by that utility.

  3. Choose the utility’s extraction operation and select a destination folder. The exact controls vary by application and version.

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  4. Keep the archive’s folder paths unless you specifically need a flat set of files. Review any overwrite prompt before confirming.

On Windows, 7-Zip supports unpacking ZIP files and offers a File Manager and Windows shell integration. Use the archive’s file listing and an explicit extraction workflow for selected entries; check the labels in your installed version rather than relying on a particular button name. 7-Zip’s official site lists its capabilities.

Extract named files on macOS with bsdunzip

The macOS 26.4 bsdunzip manual documents optional archive member names, a -d destination option, and a -j option that ignores paths stored in the archive. To extract two named files while retaining their internal paths, run:

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bsdunzip -d extracted package.zip 'docs/guide.pdf' 'images/logo.png'

Replace package.zip with your archive’s path and extracted with the destination directory you want to use. The member names must match the paths shown inside the archive. Quote names that contain spaces or shell metacharacters.

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If your system provides the command as unzip, or its options differ, check the installed command’s help or manual before running the example. The documented syntax above is specifically for macOS 26.4’s bsdunzip.

Choose whether to keep the archive’s folders

By default, the macOS command preserves paths stored in the ZIP. Keeping those paths helps retain context and avoids collisions between files with the same name in different folders.

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To flatten the selected files into the destination directory with bsdunzip, add -j:

bsdunzip -j -d extracted package.zip 'docs/guide.pdf' 'images/logo.png'

Flattening removes the directory distinction. If two selected entries share a basename, they may target the same output name. Inspect the archive’s listing first; when names repeat, extract with paths preserved instead.

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What to know about Finder and 7-Zip drag-and-drop

Finder on macOS

Apple documents double-clicking a .zip in Finder to expand it; the expanded item appears in the same folder as the ZIP. That documented convenience action expands the archive as a whole. To extract only selected members, use an archive utility that supports selecting entries or use a member-specific command such as bsdunzip. Apple’s instructions for zipping and unzipping files on Mac describe the double-click method.

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7-Zip on Windows

7-Zip’s FAQ explains that dragging files from 7-Zip into Explorer uses temporary files: Explorer needs the files decompressed on disk before copying them to the drop target. The FAQ recommends using the Extract operation to avoid that temporary-file process. For a selected subset, select the entries in 7-Zip’s listing and use its explicit extraction workflow. Read the 7-Zip FAQ.

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Troubleshoot missing files and overwrite prompts

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