Create and extract archives safely

Create an archive from a local selection

1. Select the local files or folders you intend to include. Check hidden items and unrelated selections before proceeding.
2. Run Compress from Command Palette or the context menu.
3. Review the name and destination offered by the workflow. Do not overwrite your only existing archive without a backup.
4. Wait for completion and inspect the resulting archive. If you need to prove its contents, extract a test copy into a disposable folder and compare the expected files.

Extract into an explicit folder

1. Select a supported local archive. Download an online-only placeholder first if you intentionally want to read its contents.
2. Prefer Extract to Folder… when the destination matters. Choose an empty practice or working directory rather than a folder full of irreplaceable data.
3. Use Extract Here only after confirming the current folder is the intended destination.
4. Review any password, existing-file, or extraction warning rather than repeatedly accepting it.
5. Wait for the operation to finish, then inspect the output tree. A partly extracted folder after cancellation or failure is not proof of a complete archive.

Know the limits

Available archive behavior depends on the format and tools in the current build. A familiar extension alone is not proof that an archive is valid or supported. Keep the original until you have verified its output.

Do not execute an extracted application or script merely because extraction succeeded. Treat untrusted archives as untrusted content. Review unexpected absolute paths, permissions errors, and unusually large extraction requests before continuing.

A disk image is not just a ZIP archive. Use the image's mount or disk-image workflow and eject mounted images when finished. If macOS reports Resource busy, finish work in the mounted volume and retry rather than forcing a broad process termination.