Windows 11 version 24H2 can create and extract ZIP, 7z, and TAR archives directly in File Explorer—no separate archiving app is required. Select files or a folder, use Compress to to create an archive, or use Extract All to unpack one. Windows 10 File Explorer supports built-in ZIP creation and extraction only; use the command-line method later in this guide for 7z or TAR if it is available on your PC.

Prerequisites and compatibility​

Quick walkthrough
e97d29788445.webp

  • Windows 11: Use Windows 11, version 24H2 or later for File Explorer support for ZIP, 7z, and TAR archives.
  • Windows 10: File Explorer can create and extract .zip files, but does not provide native File Explorer controls for .7z or .tar archives.
  • No administrator account is required.
  • No restart is required for normal archive work. Restart only if Windows Update asks you to after installing a feature update.
  • Ensure the destination drive has enough free space. Creating an archive temporarily requires space for both the original files and the new archive. Extracting requires space for the extracted files.

Check your Windows version​

  • Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  • Go to System > About.
  • Under Windows specifications, check Version.
  • For File Explorer creation and extraction of 7z and TAR, confirm that the version is 24H2 or newer.
Settings System About page showing Windows specifications and the Version field.

If your Windows 11 version is older:
  • Open Settings > Windows Update.
  • Select Check for updates.
  • Install available Windows 11 feature and quality updates.
  • Select Restart now if Windows asks for a restart.
  • Return to Settings > System > About and confirm that Windows 11 is now version 24H2 or later.
Windows Update page with the Check for updates button.

Create a ZIP, 7z, or TAR archive in Windows 11 File Explorer​

A ZIP archive is the most broadly compatible choice for sharing with other Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile users. Use 7z when the recipient specifically requests it or already uses an app that supports it. Use TAR when working with Linux, developer tools, backups, or software distributions.
A TAR file is primarily a container format. It may not reduce file size as much as ZIP or 7z, especially when you choose a plain .tar archive rather than a compressed TAR variant.

1. Open the folder containing the items to archive​

  • Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
  • Browse to the files or folder you want to archive.
  • If you want to archive several separate items, hold Ctrl while selecting each file or folder.
For the cleanest result, place related files inside one parent folder first, then archive that folder. When someone extracts the archive, the files will be contained in that folder instead of being scattered directly into the destination location.

2. Show file extensions before naming an archive​

This is optional but useful when you need to confirm whether you created .zip, .7z, or .tar.
  • In File Explorer, select View on the command bar.
  • Select Show > File name extensions.
Expected result: File Explorer displays extensions such as .zip, .7z, and .tar after file names.

3. Create the archive​

  • Right-click the selected file, files, or folder.
  • Select Compress to.
  • Choose one of the available formats:
  • ZIP file
  • 7z file
  • TAR file
  • File Explorer creates the archive in the same folder as the selected source item or items.
  • Type a meaningful name if the new archive name is selected for editing, then press Enter.
Expected result: A new archive appears beside the original content. The original files and folders remain unchanged.
For example, archiving a folder named ProjectFiles can create an archive such as:
Code: 
ProjectFiles.zip
ProjectFiles.7z
ProjectFiles.tar

Important: Do not use File Explorer archives as password-protected storage​

Windows 11 File Explorer does not create encrypted/password-protected ZIP, 7z, or TAR archives, and it cannot perform operations on encrypted archive files.
Also, do not rely on a standard archive to preserve Windows Encrypting File System protection.
Warning: If you archive files that use Windows file encryption and later extract them, the extracted copies may no longer be encrypted. This can expose sensitive material to other users of the PC or anyone with access to the extraction location.
For confidential information, use an approved encrypted storage solution or an archive tool that supports encryption, passwords, and the encryption standard required by your organization.

4. Add files to an existing ZIP archive when appropriate​

Windows can add files to a ZIP archive that you created previously.
  • Open the existing .zip archive in File Explorer.
  • In another File Explorer window, locate the files or folders to add.
  • Drag the items into the open ZIP archive window.
Expected result: The items appear inside the ZIP archive.
This drag-and-drop approach is most useful for ZIP. If you need to revise a 7z or TAR archive, create a replacement archive from the complete, updated source folder instead. This avoids uncertainty about whether the intended content was added and makes verification easier.

Extract a ZIP, 7z, or TAR archive in Windows 11 File Explorer​

1. Choose a safe extraction location​

Before extracting an archive from email, a download, removable media, or another person:
  • Check that you expected the archive and recognize the sender.
  • Extract it into a new, empty folder rather than directly into Documents, Desktop, a shared folder, or an existing project folder.
  • Inspect the extracted file names before opening programs, scripts, shortcuts, or installers.
Warning: Extracting into an existing folder can overwrite or merge with files already there. File Explorer may ask whether to replace files in the destination. Do not select Replace the files in the destination unless you have confirmed that overwriting those files is safe.
If you accidentally overwrite files, stop writing new data to that location. Undo is not a dependable recovery method for overwritten files. Check your backup service, File History, OneDrive version history, or organization’s backup system for an earlier copy.

2. Extract all contents​

  • In File Explorer, locate the .zip, .7z, or .tar archive.
  • Right-click the archive.
  • Select Extract All…
  • In the extraction dialog, review the destination shown in the Files will be extracted to this folder box.
  • Select Browse if you want a different location.
  • For a simple, organized result, create or choose a new folder such as:
C:\Users\<your-user-name>\Downloads\Extracted-ProjectFiles
  • Leave Show extracted files when complete selected if you want File Explorer to open the destination after extraction.
  • Select Extract.
Expected result: File Explorer copies the archive’s contents to the destination folder. The archive itself remains in its original location.

3. Extract only one file or folder​

Use this method when you only need a single item and do not want to unpack the entire archive.
  • Double-click the archive to open it in File Explorer.
  • Locate the file or folder you need.
  • Drag it from the archive window to a regular folder, such as Desktop, Documents, or a new extraction folder.
Expected result: File Explorer copies the selected item out of the archive. The archive remains intact.

Verify that the archive was created or extracted correctly​

Do not delete the source files immediately after creating an archive. First verify that the archive contains the expected files and that extracted files can be opened.

Verify a newly created archive​

  • Double-click the new .zip, .7z, or .tar archive.
  • Confirm that the expected folder and files appear.
  • Check that important subfolders are present.
  • Extract the archive to a new test folder.
  • Open one or two representative files, especially important documents, photos, or project files.
  • Compare the number of files and folder structure with the original source.
Expected result: The test extraction contains the expected data, and representative files open normally.

Verify an extracted archive​

  • Open the extraction destination.
  • Confirm that the expected top-level folder or files are present.
  • Check the Date modified, file sizes, and folder structure where relevant.
  • Open representative files with their normal applications.
  • For a software package, do not run an installer merely to test the archive. First confirm the publisher, expected file names, and any provided checksum or signature.

Alternate method: use the built-in tar command​

This method is useful when:
  • You use Windows 10 and need to work with TAR or 7z files.
  • The File Explorer Compress to menu does not offer the format you need.
  • You want to list an archive’s contents before extracting it.
  • You want to extract to an exact folder without using the graphical dialog.
The Windows tar command can create, list, and extract common archive types, including TAR, ZIP, and 7z, when the included version on your PC supports the format.

Check whether tar is available​

  • Right-click Start.
  • Select Terminal or Windows PowerShell.
  • Run:
tar --version
Expected result: Windows displays version information for bsdtar or a similar tar implementation.
If Windows reports that tar is not recognized, use File Explorer for ZIP files or install an approved archive utility for 7z and TAR support.

Create archives from a folder​

  • Open Terminal in the parent folder that contains the folder you want to archive.
  • Run one of these commands, replacing ProjectFiles with your folder name.
Create a ZIP archive:
tar -caf ProjectFiles.zip .\ProjectFiles
Create a 7z archive:
tar -caf ProjectFiles.7z .\ProjectFiles
Create a TAR archive:
tar -caf ProjectFiles.tar .\ProjectFiles
Expected result: The specified archive is created in the current folder.

List contents without extracting​

tar -tf ProjectFiles.7z
Expected result: Terminal lists the archived paths without creating extracted files.

Extract to a controlled folder​

  • Create a destination folder:
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path .\Extracted-ProjectFiles
  • Extract the archive into it:
tar -xf .\ProjectFiles.7z -C .\Extracted-ProjectFiles
Expected result: The archive contents are written only inside Extracted-ProjectFiles.

Troubleshooting and recovery​

The Compress to menu offers only ZIP, or does not show 7z and TAR​

Confirm that you are running Windows 11 version 24H2 or later:
  • Open Settings > System > About.
  • Check Windows specifications > Version.
  • If it is older than 24H2, open Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
  • Install updates and restart if prompted.
If your PC is managed by work or school, archive capabilities or context-menu extensions may be controlled by policy. Test with a local folder such as Documents\TestArchive. If the issue persists, contact the organization’s IT administrator rather than changing registry settings or installing unapproved shell extensions.

Extract All… is missing or the archive opens as an unknown file​

  • In File Explorer, select View > Show > File name extensions.
  • Confirm the file actually ends in .zip, .7z, or .tar.
  • Check whether it is an encrypted archive. Windows File Explorer does not open encrypted archives.
  • Check whether it is one part of a multipart archive, such as files ending in .001, .002, or similar segments. Those generally require the application used to create the archive.
  • Copy the archive to a local folder such as Downloads and try again. Network shares, removable drives, cloud-only files, and restricted folders can introduce access or availability problems.
If the archive came from the internet, download it again from the original source. A partially downloaded or damaged archive cannot be repaired reliably by File Explorer.

Extraction fails with access denied or cannot create files​

Extract to a folder you own, such as:
C:\Users\<your-user-name>\Downloads\Extracted
Avoid extracting directly to C:\, C:\Windows, C:\Program Files, another user’s profile folder, or a protected network location.
If the archive is in OneDrive or another cloud folder, ensure it is fully available locally before extracting. Then extract to a local folder first and move the verified results afterward.

Extraction reports insufficient disk space​

Delete unneeded files or select a destination on a drive with more free space. Do not delete the only copy of the archive or its source data until you have a verified replacement.
Remember that archiving does not always save meaningful space. JPEG photos, MP4 videos, PDFs, installers, and existing archives are usually already compressed, so a ZIP or 7z file may be close to the original size.

The archive extracts, but files are missing or unusable​

Open the archive and compare its visible contents with the original source. If files were never included when the archive was created, create a new archive from the complete parent folder rather than attempting to patch the incomplete archive.
If files are present but will not open after extraction:
  • Re-extract to a new empty folder.
  • Verify the original source file still opens.
  • If the original works but the extracted copy does not, recreate the archive and test it before deleting anything.
  • If both copies fail, restore the file from a backup, cloud version history, or the original download/source system.

References​

  1. Official source: learn.microsoft.com
    learn.microsoft.com

    tar on Windows | Microsoft Learn

    Use the built-in tar command on Windows to create and extract .tar, .tar.gz, and .zip archives from the command line.
    learn.microsoft.com
  2. Official source: support.microsoft.com
    support.microsoft.com

    Zip and unzip files | Microsoft Support

    Combine several files into a single compressed folder to save storage space or to share them more easily.
    support.microsoft.com
  3. Official source: blogs.windows.com
    blogs.windows.com

    Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23493

    Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23493 to the Dev Channel.
    blogs.windows.com
 

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