Need to open a CAB file?

What is a CAB file extension?

Ever wonder "what is a CAB file?". Cabinet files (Cab files) are compressed archive files commonly used to deliver software installation files to a user's computer. These files are also used to make delivery times faster when downloading files from a web site. The CAB format is native to Microsoft Windows and supports several data compression algorithms, such as Zip, Quantum and LZX. CAB files are used by several Microsoft installers, including SetUp API, Device Installer and AdvPack, and can contain a digital signature to assure recipients that the files they are installing come from a trusted source. You can use WinZip to extract CAB files by following the steps listed below.

How to open CAB files

1. Save the .cab file to the desktop. If your compressed file was downloaded from a website, it may be saved in the Downloads folder in your Documents or user directory.
2. Launch WinZip from your start menu or Desktop shortcut. Open the compressed file by clicking File > Open. If your system has the compressed file extension associated with WinZip program, just double-click on the file.
3. Select all the files and folders inside the compressed file. Or multi-select only the files or folders you want to open by holding the CTRL key and left-clicking on them.
4. Click 1-click Unzip and choose Unzip to PC or Cloud in the WinZip toolbar under the Unzip/Share tab.
5. Choose the destination folder to place the extracting files and click "Unzip" button.
6. And now you know how to extract cab files. Find your extracted cabinet files in the destination folder.

Open CAB files on Windows or Mac

WinZip opens and extracts CAB Compressed Archive Files—and many more formats

We designed WinZip to open and extract from the widest range of file formats, including all of the following: