Extract text from renamed ZIP archives (ZI_)
To convert ZI_ archives to another format, you need WinZip or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "Renamed Archive File" file type, you need software like WinZip or a similar tool.
A .ZI_ file is internally a standard ZIP archive that has been manually renamed. Users typically replace the final 'p' with an underscore ('_') to evade automated email security filters that aggressively block archive attachments. While this manual workaround allows the file to reach a recipient's inbox, it breaks the native file association in operating systems like Windows and macOS.
The primary disadvantage of the .ZI_ format is immediate loss of usability. Because the operating system no longer recognizes the extension, double-clicking the file will fail. Furthermore, standard extraction utilities like WinZip or 7-Zip will not automatically associate with it. You are forced to manually assign an application or rename the file locally.
To restore access to your data, you should convert or rename the .ZI_ file to a standard ZIP file, or extract it to an uncompressed folder. Because the internal structure relies on standard DEFLATE compression, many standard online converters fail simply because they reject the unrecognized .ZI_ extension.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ZI_ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ZI, ZL, ZIP, LPT, PDF, NPZ, WSDL, SLDPRT, ENC, LAB, PRT, CFA and ASPX files.
If you want to convert ZI_ file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use WinZip or similar software from the "Email Filter Evasion" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert XXE, 7Z, Z, PAK, LHA, DEB, UUE, TAR, LZH, ZIP, PKG or RAR files to ZI_, try WinZip or another comparable tool in the "Email Filter Evasion" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ZI_ converter.