To open a file that has been compressed, returning it to its original size A compressed file must be decompressed in order to be viewed, printed, or run
Opposite of compressing a file; the process of restoring the file to its original size and format The most common programs for decompressing files are PKUNZIP for IBM PC and compatible computers ( zip files) and Compact Pro ( cpt files) or Stuffit Expander ( sit files) for Macintosh computers Certain DOS files with the extension " exe" are self-extracting and do not require a program for decompressing All Macintosh files with the extension " sea" are self-extracting