Windows 11 can create and extract ZIP files without any additional software — no WinZip, no 7-Zip required. The built-in tools handle most everyday needs, though a free third-party app gives you more options for large archives or different formats. Here is everything you need to know.
How to Zip a File or Folder
- In File Explorer, find the file or folder you want to compress
- Right-click on it
- Select Compress to ZIP file
- A ZIP archive appears in the same location as the original, with the same name
- Rename it if needed
To zip multiple files or folders together, select them all first (hold Ctrl and click each one), then right-click and choose Compress to ZIP file.
How to Unzip (Extract) a ZIP File
- Right-click the ZIP file in File Explorer
- Select Extract All
- Choose where to extract the files to (by default it creates a folder in the same location)
- Click Extract
Alternatively, you can double-click a ZIP file to open it in File Explorer and browse its contents without extracting. To use the files properly (especially applications), you should extract them first rather than running them directly from the ZIP.
Zipping to Send by Email
Zipping is useful when you want to send multiple files as a single email attachment. Select all the files, right-click, and compress to ZIP. Attach the single ZIP file to your email. The recipient can extract it at their end using the same built-in Windows tool — or on Mac with a double-click.
Note that email servers often have attachment size limits (typically 10–25MB). If your ZIP file is larger, use a file sharing service like OneDrive, Google Drive, or WeTransfer instead.
How Much Does Zipping Compress Files?
Compression ratios vary significantly:
- Text documents, spreadsheets: 60–90% reduction — compresses very well
- Images (JPEG, PNG already compressed): 1–5% reduction — minimal benefit
- Videos and MP3s: Less than 1% — already compressed formats, barely any benefit
- Mixed folder of documents and images: 20–50% typical reduction
For images and videos, the main benefit of zipping is bundling multiple files into one, not compression.
Password Protecting a ZIP File
Windows 11’s built-in ZIP tool does not support password protection. For encrypted ZIP files, you need a free tool like 7-Zip (available at 7-zip.org):
- Install 7-Zip
- Right-click the files you want to compress
- Select 7-Zip > Add to archive
- Under Encryption, enter a password and select AES-256
- Click OK
Other Archive Formats: .7z and .rar
Windows 11 can natively open .7z and .rar files (from the November 2023 update onwards). To create .7z archives (which compress better than ZIP), use the free 7-Zip app.
