Archive Explorer

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Windows File Explorer

By Microsoft · since 1998 · Proprietary (built into Windows) · official site →

Overview

Windows File Explorer can create ZIP files via "Send to → Compressed (zipped) folder" and extract ZIPs by double-clicking. Windows 11 added native support for 7z, RAR, TAR, and several Unix compression formats via libarchive. On Windows 10 and earlier you need a third-party tool for anything beyond ZIP.

Best for

Casual ZIP creation and extraction without installing software.

Limitations

Cannot create anything other than ZIP. Slow on very large archives.

Supported formats — create

Windows File Explorer can create the following archive formats:

ZIP

Supported formats — extract

Windows File Explorer can extract:

ZIP7z (Win 11)RAR (Win 11)TARGZBZ2XZ (Win 11)CAB

Installation

Where to download

The official download is at https://www.microsoft.com/windows. Avoid third-party download sites — they often bundle adware or worse with otherwise legitimate archivers.

Operating systems supported

Windows

How to use Windows File Explorer

Extracting an archive

  1. Locate the archive in your file manager (or terminal).
  2. Right-click and choose the Windows File Explorer entry, or run the equivalent CLI command.
  3. Pick a destination folder.
  4. Wait for extraction to complete — speed depends on archive size and chosen algorithm.

Creating an archive

  1. Select the files or folders you want to bundle.
  2. Open Windows File Explorer and choose Add (or drag the selection onto its window/dock icon).
  3. Pick a target format from the supported list above.
  4. Optionally set a password — prefer AES-256 over legacy algorithms.
  5. Click OK and wait for compression to complete.

Alternatives

If Windows File Explorer is not the right fit, consider these alternatives covered in our software directory: