A file with an extension of .zip actually contains within it one or more files in a compressed form. Compressing many files into a single Zip File helps speed transmission, and allows related files to be stored more conveniently, bundled in a single file. The Zip File format is one of the most common ways to transmit and download sets of files. Most modern operating systems have the built-in ability to extract the files from Zip Archives.
Right-click the file icon for the Zip File and select Extract All.
In the dialog box that appears, make note of where your extracted files will be placed on your computer. The default is usually fine, but can be changes to a destination of your choosing.
Select the Extract button. The files compressed in the Zip File will be uncompressed and placed in the destination location for your use.
On Mac OS X, simply double-click on the file icon for the Zip File. The files compressed in the Zip File will be uncompressed and placed in the same location as the Zip File.
Once the files are successfully extracted from the Zip File, they will be in the exact structure as when they were compressed and ready for your use.