Wise Owl Answers - How do I unzip files using VBA?

By Andrew Gould

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This video shows you how to use the Windows Shell object to unzip a folder with VBA. You'll learn how to reference the Microsoft Shell and Automation Controls library and create a new instance of the Shell class. You'll see how to reference folders using the Namespace method, how to apply the CopyHere method to a destination folder and use the Items method to return the contents of a zipped folder. You'll also see how to achieve the same results using either early-binding or late-binding techniques.

Chapters
00:00 The Question
00:29 Creating a New Shell Object
01:53 Referring to Folders using the Namespace Method
04:10 Unzipping Files with the CopyHere Method
05:28 Overwriting Existing Files
07:02 Tidying Up the Code
09:31 Changing from Early Binding to Late Binding
11:22 Taking Care with Data Types

[CeliaAlvesSolveExcel]

Brilliant! Thank you for explaining all the little details. Very, very helpful. Thank you, again.

[KawanExcel]

this is another mind blowing from Thank you very much, Andrew

[wayneedmondson]

Wow.. thanks Andrew! As usual, you go above and beyond the basic answer to fill in a lot of useful background and optional information and methodology to solve VBA challenges. Thanks for sharing this great technique :)) Thumbs up!!

[nikolaytkachenko]

Thanks for great lesson, you didn't miss no one of details i need, i mean "late binding", i like it more than "early binding", because it's easy for end users.

[KM-comx]

Thank you! I really appreciate how you explain things and show/demonstrate the what and why.

[piotrkuc]

Such a great lesson!
I truly adore the way you teach.

[marcelofreitas]

Hello, Andrew! I'm so grateful to you because you answered my question in so many details! Now, it's time to improve my routine. God bless you!

[hadibq]

greatly explained! thanks for the tip for the Variant use. I guess that's the way to cope with the zero terminated strings within vba

[simpabar]

Love to see your face Andy, I hope you are always in good health with your family thanks for video tutorials😊👍👍🙏

[kolavithonduraski]

plz more of these (small) Library examples 👍

(winapi, shell, internet explorer and so on)
i know you did a lot of it in many videos. This small examples with your excelent explaination are in my opinion very helpful

[KhalilYasser]

Awesome and brilliant my tutor. Thank you very much.

[baludevunipalli]

THANKS.... Waiting for your pdf automation topics with VBA.

[KM-comx]

Question please... What if you have multiple .zip files in the folder along with other file types... How would you loop thru and unzip only the .zip files? Thank You! I'm struggling with this.

I figured it out... using a combination of watching you Files & Folders video and this one. Thank You again. You're Awesome!

[youssefsedkey]

Thanks Andy very much.

Question: When should I use Late binding, and when should I use early binding?

[elenacorchetevila]

Thank you very much Andy! You are an incredible person.
I am starting with VBA so I have another question related to this topic: when moving this files from a folder to another, how can I get to rename them ? I've looked through your videos but didn't find anything....

[ncalc]

Thank a lot, i keep getting error with the late binding method so searched for an early bind and found this video

[markbocsor]

Thank you Andrew, I could again learn something new and it was so well explained. Just a question: is there a solution for this also with file system object class?

[PankajNegi]

Thanks Andrew Sir for sharing unique tricks. sir my question is how convert any folder in zip file?

[manoj]

Thanks Andrew. Is there a way to unzip password-protected Zip?

[tejamarneni]

Thank you Andrew for the amazing tutorial. Can you please make a video on creating PDF files using VBA. By the way, I guess this week is going to be pretty busy in Manchester because of Cricket and Football. :P