Opening a ZOO File

The ZOO file type is primarily associated with ALZip.

ZOO	File extension: ZOO
	File type:	compressed archive file

What is a ZOO file?

ZOO files mostly belong to ALZip by ESTsoft. ZOO is a compressed archive format that was developed by Rahul Dhesi in the mid-1980s. It was accompanied by the Zoo compression tool created by the same developer. A decompression tool named booz was also developed for ZOO. ZOO was a popular file compression format with users of the VAX computers from Digital (now Hewlett Packard). The format was also popular with the users of the Amiga computers from Commodore. ZOO is not widely used anymore. Now, the format is supported by ALZip, which is a utility for file compression and archiving from ESTsoft. It is also supported by WinAce.

Compression Method: ZOO uses the LZW compression algorithm, which provides lossless compression of files.
File Generations: A feature of the ZOO format is that it allows multiple versions (generations) of the same file to be saved in the archive. These can be identified by their version numbers and allow users to keep a backup of frequently modified files in case they need to access an older version.
Other Uses: A different file format with the same extension is used by Zoo Tycoon, a zoo simulation video game by Microsoft. The ZOO file format stores game progress in a saved state.

How to open a ZOO file

You need a suitable software like ALZip to open a ZOO file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your ZOO file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a ZOO file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online ZOO Text Viewer

Choose your .zoo file to analyze

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Programs that open and convert ZOO files:

ALZip by ESTsoft
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. ZOO files are often referred to as ALZip compresseds because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
WinAce (compressed archive file) by e-merge
WinAce is an archiving program for Windows. It has built-in support for many common archive formats, including ZOO. ZOO is a compression format developed by Rahul Dhesi in the mid-1980s that was based on the LZW algorithm. This file format is classified as Compressed. Related links: WinAce on Wikipedia
Zoo Tycoon (save state file) by Microsoft
Zoo Tycoon is a zoo simulation video game by Microsoft. The ZOO file format stores game progress in a saved state so that the game can be closed and resumed from the same state later. This file format is classified as Game. Related links: Zoo Tycoon on Wikipedia

ZOO file format:

If you can determine the file format, the associated program can also be determined. The file format can be deduced from the file extension and the signature. However, different programs can use the same file extension, and file extensions can be assigned incorrectly. When there is a problem with a file, the first step to solving it is to determine the file format. Our examination of the ZOO files comes to the following conclusion:

ZOO is seldom used as a file extension and includes various formats for various programs. But the following two file formats are common:

40% of all ZOO files belong to ZOO compressed archive. The contents of these files cannot be read by a human; only a computer program can interpret the data. ZOO files can be up to 3 MB in size, but are often around 2 KB - 120 KB. The following keywords are characteristic: ZOO 2.10 Archive.
25% of all ZOO files are based on the zip format, the ZOO file contains a number of compressed files. Primarily 1 to 4 files are included. Common included file names are bigscreenshot, metadata, metathumb and parkdata. If you'd like to see the images and files included, just rename the file extension to .zip and double-click. The files are on average 2 MB in size and range from 34 KB to 9 MB. The following keywords are characteristic: bigscreenshot.

All other ZOO files (35%) have no uniform format, the following 3 formats exist: Microsoft Zoo Tycoon saved game. You can get all the details of your ZOO file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .zoo file to analyze" above.

Technical Data for ZOO File Extension

File classification:

Compressed

Related files:

z00, zo, hprj, z01, jpg, zip, alz, b64, a01

Mime type:

application/x-zoo, application/octet-stream

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: File.Zoo, FileType: ZipGenius Zoo File, AppName: zipgenius

ProgramID: File.Zoo, FileType: ZipGenius Zoo File, AppName: ZipGenius 1.4 Service Release 3

ProgramID: Filzip, FileType: Filzip file, AppName: Filzip
EXEFile: Filzip.exe

ProgramID: Frigate3.open, FileType: ZipMagic ZOO, AppName: Frigate3

ProgramID: PAZOO, FileType: PowerArchiver ZOO File, AppName: The most powerful Freeware Archive Utility
EXEFile: POWERARC.EXE

ProgramID: PicoZip, FileType: PicoZip Archive, AppName: PicoZip
EXEFile: PicoZip.exe

ProgramID: PowerDesk Archive, FileType: PowerDesk Archive, AppName: PowerDesk

ProgramID: PowerDesk.Archive, FileType: PowerDesk.Archive, AppName: PowerDesk
EXEFile: PDExplo.exe

ProgramID: PowerDesk.Archive, FileType: PowerDesk.Archive, AppName: PowerDesk Pro

ProgramID: ZipMagic ZOO

ProgramID: Zoo-Archiv, FileType: Zoo archive, AppName: WinAce Archiver v2.5
EXEFile: WinAce.exe

ProgramID: File.Zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ZipGenius 5\zipgenius.exe -open %1

ProgramID: PAZOO
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\PowerArchiver\POWERARC.EXE %1

ProgramID: PicoZip
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\PicoZip\PicoZip.exe %1

ProgramID: PicoZip.zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\PicoZip\PicoZip.exe %1

ProgramID: PowerDesk.Archive
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Ontrack\PowerDesk\PDExplo.exe %1

ProgramID: PowerDesk.Archive
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\VCOM\PowerDesk\PDExplo.exe %1

ProgramID: PowerDesk.Archive
EXEFile: Y:\Ontrack\PowerDesk\PDExplo.exe %1

ProgramID: ZipZag.zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ZipZag\zipzag.exe %1

ProgramID: Zoo-Archiv
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\WinAce\WinAce.exe %1

ProgramID: File.Zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\!Ute\ZipGenius 5\zipgenius.exe -open %1

ProgramID: PAZOO
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%r\PowerArchiver\POWERARC.EXE %1

ProgramID: IZArc
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\IZARC\IZARC.EXE %1

ProgramID: UltimateZip
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ULTIMA~1\uzip.exe %1

ProgramID: Filzip
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Filzip\Filzip.exe %1

ProgramID: ZOOFile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ACI32\Applications\Report32.exe %1

ProgramID: MimarSinan Codex
EXEFile: %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /idlist,%I,%L

ProgramID: IZArcZOO
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\IZArc\IZArc.exe

ProgramID: uz.zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ULTIMA~1\uzip.exe

ProgramID: PowerDesk.Archive
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\PowerDesk\PDExplo.exe

ProgramID: PAZOO
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Accessories\PowerArchiver\POWERARC.EXE

ProgramID: ALZip.zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ESTsoft\ALZip\ALZip.exe

ProgramID: BraZipZoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\BraZip\BraZip.exe

ProgramID: Zoo-Archiv
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player\WinAce.exe

ProgramID: File.Zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\ZipGenius 6\zipgenius.exe -open

ProgramID: UltimateZip
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\UltimateZip 2.7\uzip.exe

ProgramID: Filzip
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Filzip\Filzip.exe

ProgramID: BitZipper.zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\BitZipper\BITZIPPER.exe

ProgramID: IZArcZOO
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\IZArc\IZArc.exe

ProgramID: LhaplusArchive_zoo
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Lhaplus\Lhaplus.exe

Show all 40 listings To Top

a zoo compressed archive file is a special file format by ESTsoft and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with ZOO files

Associate the ZOO file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open compressed archive files. Because only the current version supports the latest ZOO file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the ESTsoft manufacturer website after an available ALZip update.
To make sure that your ZOO file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .ZOO file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.