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How to Zip and Unzip Files on Windows 10 and 11 (5 Methods, 2026 Guide)

Zipping and unzipping files on Windows with 7-Zip tutorial

To zip a file in Windows 10 or 11, right-click the file or folder, choose Compress to > ZIP file. To unzip, right-click the archive and choose Extract All. Windows 11 24H2 and later also natively open 7z and RAR archives — no extra software needed for most everyday tasks. For better compression and password protection, install 7-Zip.

Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 4, 2026

How to Zip and Unzip Files on Windows 10 and 11 Easily

Key Takeaways

  • Windows 11 24H2 and later natively open 7z, RAR, and TAR archives — Microsoft added libarchive support in late 2023, so you don’t need extra software just to extract those formats anymore
  • For ZIP files, File Explorer’s right-click menu is enough — use Compress to > ZIP file and Extract All for everyday compression
  • 7-Zip is the best free option when you need password protection, higher compression ratios with the .7z format, or to create archives in formats other than ZIP
  • WinRAR still owns the .rar format for creating new RAR files, but extracting them is now possible without it on Windows 11 24H2+
  • PowerShell can compress and extract from scripts using Compress-Archive and Expand-Archive — useful for automation and batch jobs

Quick Steps:

  1. To zip — right-click the file or folder, choose Compress to > ZIP file
  2. To unzip — right-click the archive, choose Extract All, pick a destination, click Extract
  3. For 7z, RAR, or password-protected archives, install 7-Zip from 7-zip.org
  4. For PowerShell automation, use Compress-Archive -Path source -DestinationPath target.zip and Expand-Archive -Path target.zip -DestinationPath folder

In This Guide

Method 1: Use the Built-in File Explorer Compression

Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have built-in ZIP support — no extra software required. For most everyday tasks (sharing a folder over email, downloading and extracting a basic ZIP), this is all you need.

Zipping Files with File Explorer

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the file or folder you want to zip
  2. Right-click the file or folder
  3. On Windows 11, hover over Compress to and select ZIP file. On Windows 10, choose Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder
  4. Windows creates a new .zip file in the same folder — you can rename it immediately if you want

Unzipping Files with File Explorer

  1. Right-click the .zip file
  2. Select Extract All
  3. Choose a destination folder (it defaults to a new folder with the same name as the zip)
  4. Click Extract

You can also just double-click a zip file to browse its contents like a folder, and drag individual files out without extracting the whole archive.

Method 2: Native 7z and RAR Extraction (Windows 11 24H2+)

Starting with Windows 11 23H2 (and rolled into 24H2 and 25H2), Microsoft added native support for the libarchive library, which means File Explorer can now open and extract 7z, RAR, TAR, GZ, and many other archive formats without third-party software.

The workflow is identical to ZIP: right-click the archive, choose Extract All, pick a destination, done. This is a big change from how things used to work — for years you absolutely had to install 7-Zip or WinRAR just to open a .rar file someone sent you.

Note: Windows can extract these formats natively, but it cannot create them. To make a new .7z or .rar archive, you still need 7-Zip or WinRAR. Windows can only create .zip and .tar archives natively.

Method 3: Install 7-Zip for Power Users

7-Zip is free, open-source, and the best all-around archive tool on Windows. It supports nearly every archive format that exists, gives you better compression ratios than the built-in ZIP tool, and lets you password-protect your archives with AES-256 encryption.

Even with Windows 11’s native 7z and RAR support, I still keep 7-Zip installed on every machine I use because it is faster, gives more options, and handles edge cases the built-in tool stumbles on.

Install 7-Zip

  1. Visit the official 7-Zip website
  2. Download the 64-bit version (most modern Windows installs are 64-bit)
  3. Run the installer and click Install, then Close when it finishes

If you prefer a one-line install, you can use winget from any Terminal window:

winget install 7zip.7zip

Extract a File with 7-Zip

  1. Right-click the archive (.zip, .7z, .rar — anything 7-Zip understands)
  2. On Windows 11, click Show more options first, then hover over 7-Zip
  3. Choose Extract to “{filename}\” — this drops the contents into a folder named after the archive

Create an Archive with 7-Zip

  1. Select the file or folder you want to compress
  2. Right-click and (on Windows 11) click Show more options, then hover over 7-Zip
  3. Choose Add to “filename.zip” for a quick zip, or Add to archive… to set the format, compression level, and a password

The Add to archive dialog is where 7-Zip really earns its keep — you can pick the .7z format for the highest compression, set the compression level to Ultra, and enter a password that encrypts the contents with AES-256.

Method 4: WinRAR for .rar Archive Creation

WinRAR is the original tool behind the .rar format, and it is still the only mainstream option for creating .rar files. It is shareware (the famous “free trial that never expires”), so it works fine for personal use indefinitely.

If you only need to extract .rar files, Windows 11 24H2+ already does that natively, and 7-Zip handles RAR extraction on every Windows version. The only reason to install WinRAR in 2026 is if you specifically need to create new .rar archives — for example, because the recipient explicitly asked for .rar.

I have a separate written guide on how to install WinRAR on Windows 11 if you need it.

Method 5: Use PowerShell to Zip and Unzip

If you are scripting an automated backup, processing files in bulk, or just prefer the command line, PowerShell has two built-in cmdlets that handle ZIP archives without any additional modules.

Compress Files with Compress-Archive

To zip a single file:

Compress-Archive -Path "C:\path\to\file.txt" -DestinationPath "C:\path\to\archive.zip"

To zip an entire folder (including subfolders):

Compress-Archive -Path "C:\path\to\folder\*" -DestinationPath "C:\path\to\archive.zip"

To overwrite an existing archive instead of erroring out, add -Force:

Compress-Archive -Path "C:\folder\*" -DestinationPath "C:\archive.zip" -Force

Extract a ZIP with Expand-Archive

Expand-Archive -Path "C:\path\to\archive.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\path\to\extracted-folder"

Limitation: Compress-Archive only handles .zip — it cannot create .7z or .rar archives, and it has a 2 GB size limit on Windows PowerShell 5.1. PowerShell 7 lifts that limit, but for archives larger than a couple of gigabytes, use 7-Zip’s command line or one of the GUI methods above.

Which Method Should You Use?

  • Casual zipping/unzipping — File Explorer right-click is fine
  • Opening 7z or RAR files on Windows 11 24H2+ — File Explorer right-click works natively now
  • Password-protected archives or maximum compression — install 7-Zip
  • Creating .rar files specifically — install WinRAR
  • Scripts and automation — PowerShell Compress-Archive / Expand-Archive

For most users, the right setup is simply: use what Windows gives you, and only install 7-Zip when you hit a wall (password protection or a non-zip format you need to create). If you are looking for more ways to clean up and customize Windows beyond just file management, take a look at Winhance, my open-source Windows Enhancement Utility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open RAR files on Windows 11 without WinRAR?

Yes. Starting with Windows 11 23H2 (and built into 24H2 and 25H2), File Explorer can natively open and extract .rar, .7z, .tar, and .gz archives. Right-click the file and choose Extract All. You only need WinRAR if you need to create new .rar files — extracting them works without it.

Should I use 7-Zip or WinRAR?

For most people, 7-Zip is the better choice — it is fully free, open-source, supports more formats, and has stronger encryption. WinRAR only beats it when you specifically need to create new .rar archives, which is rare in 2026 because almost everyone uses .zip or .7z instead.

Is 7-Zip safe to install?

Yes — 7-Zip is open-source, has been audited by independent security researchers, and is used by millions of users including in enterprise environments. The only safety advice is to download it from the official site (7-zip.org) or via winget install 7zip.7zip, never from a third-party download mirror.

What’s the difference between ZIP and 7z?

ZIP is the universal standard — every operating system can open it without extra software. The .7z format compresses files much smaller (often 30-70% smaller for the same data) and supports stronger AES-256 encryption, but it requires 7-Zip or compatible software to open. Use ZIP for sharing, .7z for personal storage and backups.

Can I password-protect a ZIP file with the built-in Windows tool?

No. Windows’ built-in compression doesn’t support encryption or passwords. To password-protect an archive, install 7-Zip and use Add to archive — under Encryption, set a password and choose AES-256 encryption. The result is a standard .zip or .7z file that requires the password to open.

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