Universal Extractor is a program do to exactly what it says: extract files from any type of archive. Universal Extractor is a freeware open-source tool which can extract files quickly and efficiently from any type of archive. It can be something as simple as a “zip†file or “rar†file, or perhaps you want to study the contents of an “exe†set-up file or a Microsoft “msi†installer file. By using Universal Extractor, all the files will be brought out of the chosen archive and placed in a folder for you to peruse.

I find this useful because it provides a consistent way to see files that contain other files. You may need to extract the files from an installer to create a portable version of an application, to read the help file before installing it or to get a file.

Windows 7 Tip: 





I use WinRar which can be used to extract files from exe and msi files but this looks like a better option.