How to decrypt your password-protected Zip file

When it comes to sharing files, we always use WinRAR to compress them to a Zip archive. Reducing the file size makes people download files faster. Sending files in Zip format over the internet avoids compatibility issues. What's more, receiving multiple files wrapped in a Zip archive is convenient for file management. WinRAR provides a facility to password protect your file. If your file contains sensitive information, encrypting the file is a necessity. Thus, when unauthorized people try to access the file in the archive, they have to enter the correct password. But you may lose your password because of some unforeseen situations. The password is too long or complex and you forget it after a long time. There are many files encrypted with different passwords and you mix up the passwords. You stored the password into a notepad file but somehow you can't find it any more. Once the password is lost, you are unable to open the file. It is very frustrating that you can't access your own file. Don't be worried. In this article, I will show you three methods on how to unlock a Zip file.

Method 1. Unlock your password protected Zip file with Password-Online

For any one who doesn't want to install any software on the computer, Password-Online is a go-to option. This is a web-based Zip file decoder that removes the password from the encrypted Zip file and gives you a new file without the password protection. The app guarantees a fast decryption that completes within a few hours. Password-Online is a paid service that costs you 10 Euros. There is no need worrying about wasting your money since you pay only when the file is successfully decrypted. No professional knowledge is required for using Password-Online. Just upload the file to its cloud server and leave the decryption work to this online tool. Overall speaking, Password-Online is worth giving a try because of its ease of use.

• Press "Upload your encryption file" to upload your encrypted Zip file.
• Provide a valid email address.

• Open your email inbox and click on "Start Decryption" to activate the decryption.

• Once the decryption is activated, you'll be taken to a webpage where you can check the decryption progress.

• When the Zip file is decrypted, you will be notified via email.

• Click on "here" in the email and you'll be taken to the webpage that shows you the decryption is done.

• Click on "go to payment options" and make the payment.
• After you finish the payment, you will receive a download link to download the decrypted Zip file.

Method 2. Unlock your password-protected Zip file with CrackZipRarOnline.

As the title suggests, CrackZipRarOnline is a browser-based app to crack a Zip file password. Apart from Zip, the app also works with Rar, 7z, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, and PDF. You can expect a super fast Zip password recovery using this utility. Believe it or not, the app cracks a weak numeric password within seconds. CrackZipRarOnline costs you $9.95 to recover a password and is paid only if the password is found. CrackZipRarOnline is as easy to use as Password-Online. Follow the steps below to crack your lost Zip password using it.

Step 1.

• Enter your email address.
• Drag and drop your Zip file onto the drop zone. Or click on "Select file" to select your Zip file. The max file upload size is 2GB.
• Check the box "I accept the Service and Confidential Agreement".
• Press the "Submit" button.

Step 2.

• After your Zip file is uploaded to the server, you will see a task ID which is used to track the cracking progress. Press "Start recover" to start cracking the password.

• When the cracking is started, you have two choices to check the cracking progress. Press "click here to track it". Then click on "check". Or press "Check progress" at the top of the site, copy and paste the task ID, and click on "Check".

Step 3.

• If your password is found, you will receive an email. Click on the link in the email and go to the payment webpage.
• Finish the payment and you will receive the password.

Method 3. Unlock your password-protected ZIP file with Zip Password Recover

Zip Password Recover is a piece of desktop Zip password recovery software. It offers a 7 day free trial. Shell out $19.95 and you will get a license for lifetime use. Zip Password Recover provides three password attacks to recover your lost Zip password. Each attack is designed for a specific scenario. If you are less experienced with using such a software program, let me explain each one of the three attacks for you.

Dictionary Attack: Dictionary attack uses a text dictionary to search your password. Your password will be found very fast if it is included in the in-built library of password combinations. It is possible to build your own dictionary. After you purchase the software, the software provider will send you a full dictionary of 3 GB.

Mask Attack: If you can recall any details about the password, use mask attack, which greatly enhances the speed of the password recovery. Mask attack allows you to set a mask for the part of the password you can remember. You can specify the initial length of the password as well as the max and min length. In addition, you can select the charset types the password consists of, including numbers, letters in upper or lower case, space, and symbols.

Brute Attack: When you don't remember anything about the password, brute attack comes to your aid. It tries all possible password combinations to break the password. Though brute attack takes longer than other attacks to recover the password, the multi-core and multi-threading tech ensures the time will be considerably shortened.

It is worthwhile mentioning two nifty features of Zip Password Recover. String case changing instructs the program to scan the letters in the dictionary in uppercase, lowercase, or title case. Password storage automatically backs up the recovered password in a text file.

Step 1.

• Press the "Click File" button to import the locked Zip file.

Step 2.

• Press the "Options" button to open the "Options" panel. You can tweak options here as you want.

• Select one attack that fits you and configure settings if needed.

Step 3.

• Press the "Start" button to start recovering the password.
• When the password is recovered, it will be displayed at the bottom of the main window.

It is important to password protect your file in the Zip archive when it stores crucial data. Encrypting the file is an effective way to keep it safe from spies. But it is very annoying when you lose the password and need to access the file urgently. The three methods above should be useful for you to unlock the encrypted Zip file. Give them a whirl and tell me which one you like by sending me an email.