To create a ZIP in Windows 11, select the files in File Explorer, right-click and choose Compress to > ZIP File. On Windows 10 (or a Windows 11 PC without Compress to), choose Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. To unzip an archive, right-click it and choose Extract All.
This guide covers creating, opening, and extracting ZIP files on Windows 11 and Windows 10. A ZIP bundles files into one file for sharing. It isn’t password-protected, and photos and videos won’t get much smaller.
How to Create a ZIP File
- Choose the contents. Open File Explorer and find your files or folder. Hold Ctrl and click each item for a selection, or select the folder you want to include.
- Open the menu. Right-click one selected item. Windows 11 shows Compress to on the main menu. On Windows 10, or if Compress to is missing, use the Send to menu (on Windows 11, choose Show more options first).
- Make the archive. Choose Compress to > ZIP File on Windows 11, or Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. Wait for the operation to finish. Both are covered in Microsoft’s ZIP guide.
- Name and check it. The new ZIP appears in the same folder. Right-click it, choose Rename, type a descriptive name and press Enter. Keep the
.zipending if you can see it. Open the archive in Explorer and make sure everything you wanted is inside before sharing it.
Choose ZIP Options With the Compress to Wizard
The Compress to menu came to Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 with the update in Microsoft’s KB5039302 release notes. If you don’t see it, install the latest Windows updates or use Send to instead.
For more control over the format and compression level, open the wizard:
- Right-click the selection and choose Compress to > Additional options.
- Choose the archive’s destination and select ZIP as the archive format.
- Choose the available compression method and level, then select Create.
- Find the archive in the folder you chose and open it to check. For everyday sharing, choose ZIP rather than 7z or TAR.
How to Open or Unzip a ZIP File
Opening the archive lets you see what’s inside; extracting creates copies you can use. If you plan to edit a document, or the package has several files that work together, extract it first so you know where your working files are.
- Find the ZIP. Open its saved location, such as Downloads. Check the complete ending; our file-extension guide explains how to display it.
- Start extraction. Right-click the archive and select Extract All. This is the same basic route on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
- Choose the output location. Review the destination offered by the dialog. Use Browse if you want another folder. A new, separate output folder makes it easier to identify this archive’s contents and avoid mixing them with existing files.
- Extract and check. Select Extract, wait for it to finish, then open the destination folder and make sure your files are there. Keep the ZIP until you know the extraction worked.
For just one file or folder, open the ZIP in Explorer and drag the required item to a normal folder. Microsoft also documents adding items to a ZIP you created earlier by dragging them onto the zipped folder. Adding files and extracting them are different actions.
If extraction leaves you with a BIN file that Windows will not open, see how to open a BIN file in Windows 10. A BIN/CUE disc image and a firmware file need different tools; extracting the ZIP only removes the outer archive.
Other Archive Formats
On an updated Windows 11 PC, Extract All also opens RAR, 7z, and TAR archives, as Microsoft’s ZIP and archive guide explains. Password-protected archives and formats Windows can’t open need another app, such as 7-Zip. In 7-Zip File Manager, select an archive and click Extract, or select files and click Add to create a ZIP or 7z archive. A .gz file often holds a .tar archive, so you extract twice to reach the files.
What ZIP Does and Does Not Provide
- Convenient sharing: several documents can travel as one archive. Check its final size against your email service’s attachment limit.
- Variable space savings: already compressed JPEGs may barely shrink. They can still be bundled; a small saving does not mean ZIP creation failed.
- No password protection: Windows can’t create password-protected archives. Use an app such as 7-Zip if you need one.
- Original file encryption is not preserved as protection for the archive: Microsoft warns against zipping encrypted files because extraction can leave their contents unencrypted.
Troubleshooting
- Extract All is missing: check the file’s real extension and try opening the archive in File Explorer. If another archive app is the default, it may have its own extract menu. Renaming a file to .zip won’t turn it into a working archive.
- A download will not extract: make sure it finished downloading. If a fresh copy from the same trusted source also fails, ask the sender to check the archive; another app won’t fix every extraction error.
- The destination cannot be used: choose a folder you can write to and check available space. The extracted contents can need considerably more space than the compressed archive.
- Existing names conflict: use a separate destination. Read replacement prompts before accepting them, especially if the folder contains work you need to keep.
- You cannot open an extracted document: extraction does not install the app needed for that document type. Check that the correct file was extracted and use a compatible app.
If you have a whole folder of ZIP files to extract, see how to unzip multiple ZIP files at once in Windows 11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extract several ZIP archives with these steps?
Repeat the steps for each ZIP, using a separate output folder for each one. Selecting several archives and choosing Extract All may not extract them all. Extracting many at once needs a different method.
Can I use PowerShell?
Yes. Microsoft documents Compress-Archive for creating ZIP files and Expand-Archive for extracting them. Compress-Archive skips hidden files and can’t add files larger than 2 GB.
More Windows Guides
To email the completed archive, follow our guide to sending a ZIP file in Outlook. It covers attaching a copy and sharing a link when the archive is too large.
Zipping is also one of the fixes when Outlook blocks a file type. See why you can’t see attachments in Outlook for the other causes and fixes.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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