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user_2e1bgr
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Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 1:48 PM

passowrd needed for email zip file

I backed up my email and downloaded a .zip file but they are encrypted and need a password.

I tried my email password but it didn;t work.

How to access them?

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17 days ago

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XfinityThomasC

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17 days ago

Hello, @user_2e1bgr I recently locked myself out of an encrypted computer file because I couldn't remember the password, so I know how frustrating that is. What email client are you using Comcast, Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook? And, what device are you attempting to access the zip file? 

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user_2e1bgr

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17 days ago

I am on a windows pc.

I have the zip files of my old emails that I backed up using xfinity's email data transfer tool.

I can not access them because they keep asking for a password. Using winrar to unzip

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XfinityThomasC

Official Employee

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3.4K Messages

@user_2e1bgr To open the .zip backup files downloaded from the Xfinity Export Portal, WinRAR requires a specific encryption password that was uniquely generated for your download. 

 

Where to find the zip password
  1. Open your email client and search for the automated completion email sent to you by Xfinity or ShuttleCloud.
  2. Look for the email with the subject line that contains "Your download is ready" or mentions your Export ID.
  3. Inside that email, look for a section explicitly labeled "Password", "Extraction Password", or "Encryption Key". It will be a random string of numbers and letters.
  4. Copy that exact text string. Do not type your personal Xfinity account password, as it will not work. [1]
 
How to extract it with WinRAR
  1. Open WinRAR and locate your downloaded Xfinity zip file.
  2. Click Extract To at the top menu.
  3. When the prompt pops up asking for a password, paste the random password you copied from the email.
  4. Click OK to extract your email files (which will be in .mbox or .pst format). [1, 2]
 
What if you cannot find the email or password?
  • Check your Spam/Junk folder: Automated emails containing encryption keys are frequently flagged by spam filters.
  • The link is expired: Xfinity's secure download links and passwords are only valid for 14 days. If it has been longer than two weeks since you requested the file, the password will no longer unlock the file. You will need to log back into export.xfinity.com and request a fresh data download to generate a new password. [1]
If you have the password but WinRAR still throws an error, tell me the exact error message (e.g., "Wrong password" vs. "Archive corrupted") so we can pinpoint the issue!
 
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