Let us assume you have a forgotten password on a legacy ZIP file. Here is a generic workflow for most lightweight ZIP password recovery tools.

This method tests a list of common words or previously leaked passwords. It is much faster if the password is a real word or a simple variation.

For most home users, John the Ripper (JtR) is the gold standard. It is free, powerful, and has a "tinybit" style lightness. However, it requires command-line knowledge.