How to Remotely Unzip a File in WinSCP

WinSCP is a popular and versatile file transfer tool for Windows, primarily used to transfer files securely between your local machine and a remote server via FTP, SFTP, SCP, and other protocols. One of the common tasks in remote file management is unzipping files on a remote server. In this blog post, we will walk you through the process of remotely unzip a file in WinSCP.

Prerequisites:

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

1. WinSCP installed on your local machine. You can download it from the official WinSCP website.
2. Access to a remote server where you want to unzip the file. You’ll need the server’s hostname or IP address, your username, and password or SSH key.
3. The file you want to unzip should already be uploaded to the remote server.

Step 1: Launch WinSCP and Connect to the Remote Server

1. Start WinSCP by launching the application on your local machine.
2. In the Login dialog, enter the following information:

• Host name: Enter the hostname or IP address of your remote server.
• Port number: Leave it as the default (usually 22 for SSH).
• Username: Your server username.
• Password: Enter your server password or, if you’re using SSH keys, configure them in the “SSH” section.

1. Click the “Login” button to establish a connection to the remote server.

Step 2: Navigate to the Directory Containing the Zip File

Once you are connected to the remote server, you’ll see the server’s directory structure on the right side of the WinSCP interface. Navigate to the directory where the ZIP file is located by double-clicking on the folders in the remote directory tree.

Step 3: Select the ZIP File

In the remote directory where the ZIP file is located, locate the file you want to unzip. Click on the file to select it. If you need to unzip multiple files, you can select multiple files by holding down the “Ctrl” key while clicking on each file.

Step 4: Unzip the Selected File(s)

After selecting the file(s) you want to unzip, follow these steps:

1. In the toolbar at the top of the WinSCP interface, locate the “Commands” menu.
2. Under the “Commands” menu, you will find the “Extract” option. Click on it to open a submenu.
3. In the submenu, you can choose from various extraction options, such as extracting the selected file(s) to the current directory or specifying a custom target directory. Choose the appropriate option according to your needs.
4. A dialog will appear where you can review and customize the extraction settings. Make any necessary adjustments and confirm the extraction process by clicking “OK.”

WinSCP will then extract the selected file(s) to the specified location on the remote server. You will see the progress in the WinSCP interface, and once the process is complete, your files will be unzipped and available in the target directory.

Step 5: Verify the Unzipped Files

After the extraction is complete, you can verify the unzipped files in the specified directory on the remote server. You can also download these files to your local machine if needed.

That’s it! You’ve seen how to successfully remotely unzip a file in WinSCP. It’s a convenient and efficient way to manage and manipulate files on a remote server without the need for additional software or SSH terminal commands.

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