Why Mac ZIP file names look garbled on Windows
Updated
Non-English file names in a ZIP made on a Mac usually break on Windows for one of two reasons. Either a Windows tool reads names stored as UTF-8 with a local code page (CP949 on Korean Windows), which turns them into gibberish. Or the names were stored in decomposed Unicode form (NFD), which Windows shows as loose pieces, so the Korean word 해밀 appears as ㅎㅐㅁㅣㄹ.
Haemil Explorer's "Compress to ZIP File" writes names as composed (NFC) UTF-8, marks them as UTF-8, and leaves out Mac-only files such as .DS_Store, ._* and __MACOSX. Going the other way, "Extract All" reads CP949 names in ZIPs made on Korean Windows. Both are free.
Why the names break
People have reported this for years. One example is a 2021 post on the Korean community site Clien, where a Mac-made ZIP showed broken Korean file names when opened on Windows (clien.net/service/board/cm_mac/16570448).
The first cause is the text encoding. A ZIP stores each file name as bytes and can set a flag saying those bytes are UTF-8. Without the flag, some Windows tools fall back to the system code page. UTF-8 read as CP949 or Shift-JIS comes out unreadable.
The second cause is the form of the characters. A Korean syllable can be stored as one composed character (NFC) or as its separate letters (NFD). On a Mac, the same name can end up in either form. If an NFD name goes into a ZIP as is, Windows shows the separate letters instead of the syllable.
Make a ZIP for Windows with Haemil Explorer
- Select the files or folders to compress. You can select several.
- Right-click the selection and choose "Compress to ZIP File".
- Progress shows in the status bar at the bottom, as with copying, and you can cancel it.
Names go into the ZIP as composed (NFC) UTF-8 with the UTF-8 flag set. The file names on your Mac stay as they are.
Mac-only files stay out of the ZIP: .DS_Store, files starting with ._, the __MACOSX folder, custom folder icon files (Icon) and .localized.
Haemil's ZIPs have not been tested in every Windows archive tool. A tool that ignores the UTF-8 flag can still garble the names.
Extract a ZIP made on Korean Windows
- Select the ZIP file.
- Right-click the ZIP and choose "Extract All". A dialog shows where it will be extracted.
Korean Windows often writes names in CP949 without the UTF-8 flag. Haemil reads any name that is not valid UTF-8 as CP949, so Korean names come out right.
Entries whose names point outside the extraction folder are not extracted. This stops a downloaded ZIP from writing over files elsewhere.
Where __MACOSX and ._ files come from
Compression on macOS can put Mac-only data such as extended attributes into a __MACOSX folder and files starting with ._. A .DS_Store file is where Finder keeps a folder's view settings.
None of these mean anything on Windows, so the person you send the ZIP to sees unexplained extra files. Haemil's "Compress to ZIP File" leaves them out.
Split letters in files sent without a ZIP
Files sent as they are, by email, USB stick or cloud storage, can also show split letters on Windows because of NFD names.
Haemil changes only the names it writes into a ZIP. It does not rename the files on your Mac, so it does not fix files sent without a ZIP. Put them in a ZIP with Haemil first and the names inside the ZIP are NFC.
Look inside a ZIP without extracting it
Double-click a .zip file or press Enter to open it as a folder without extracting it. You can also type a path inside it, such as ~/Downloads/files.zip/photos, into the address bar.
Look at files with the preview pane or Quick Look (Space). Take out only what you need by dragging it to a folder or with ⌘C and ⌘V. The inside of a ZIP is read-only, so you cannot rename or delete there.
Opening an archive like a folder works for ZIP files. Since version 0.9.35 Haemil can also extract 7z, rar and tar formats and password-protected zip.
Looking inside ZIP files is a Pro feature, and you can try it free for the first 14 days.
At a glance
| What you want | In Haemil Explorer | Free or Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Make a ZIP for Windows users | Right-click › Compress to ZIP File | Free |
| Extract a ZIP made on Korean Windows | Extract All (reads CP949 names) | Free |
| Browse a ZIP without extracting | Double-click the .zip or press Enter | Pro |
FAQ
Will a ZIP made with Haemil never break on Windows?
Haemil writes names as NFC UTF-8 and sets the UTF-8 flag. Tools that read the flag show the names correctly. It has not been tested in every Windows tool, so we do not promise it never breaks.
Does Haemil also fix the file names on my Mac?
No. It changes only the names it writes into the ZIP and leaves the original files alone.
Can it extract 7z or rar files?
Yes, since version 0.9.35. Haemil Explorer extracts 7z, rar, tar, tar.gz, tar.bz2, tar.xz and password-protected zip. It makes ZIP files only.
Do I have to pay for this?
Making ZIPs and Extract All are free. Only browsing a ZIP without extracting it is Pro, and you can try it free for the first 14 days.