How to Zip and Unzip Files in Windows 11

If you need to email 50 high-resolution vacation photos to a family member, or upload a massive folder of tax documents to an accountant, sending them one by one is incredibly tedious. Furthermore, many email providers place strict limits on the size of attachments.

The solution to both of these problems is file compression, commonly referred to as “zipping.” A ZIP file acts as a digital suitcase. It allows you to take dozens of separate files and folders, squeeze them down into a significantly smaller file size to save space, and pack them all into a single, neat package for easy transport.

In the past, Windows users had to download third-party software like WinZip or 7-Zip to handle compressed files. However, Windows 11 now features robust ZIP capabilities built directly into the operating system.

How to Zip Files (Compressing)

Creating a brand new ZIP file in Windows 11 takes only a few seconds using the modern File Explorer.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the location where your files or folders are stored.
2. Select all the files you want to compress. You can click and drag your mouse cursor to draw a box around them, or hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while clicking individual files to select multiple specific items.
3. Once all the files are highlighted in blue, right-click on any one of the highlighted files.
4. The new Windows 11 context menu will appear. Locate the option labelled Compress to ZIP file (it usually has a small icon resembling a folder with a zipper on it).
5. Click it. Windows will immediately create a new ZIP file in the exact same folder location.

By default, Windows will name the new ZIP file after the folder it is in, or after one of the files you selected. The text will be highlighted in blue, indicating that you can immediately type on your keyboard to rename the ZIP file to whatever you like (e.g., “Tax Documents 2024”). Press Enter to save the name.

You can now attach this single ZIP file to an email, and the recipient will receive all 50 photos inside it.

How to Unzip Files (Extracting)

If someone emails you a ZIP file, or if you download a software package from the internet, you cannot usually use the files while they are still compressed inside the “suitcase.” You must unpack them first.

The Quick View Method

Windows 11 allows you to double-click on a ZIP file to peek inside. The File Explorer will show you the contents as if it were a normal folder. Warning: While you can see the files, you should not try to run software installers or edit Word documents while they are in this state. They are still compressed, and they will likely crash or fail to save properly.

The Extraction Method

To safely use the files, you must extract them from the ZIP archive and place them into a normal Windows folder.

1. Locate the ZIP file you want to open.
2. Right-click the ZIP file.
3. From the context menu, select Extract All…
4. A small dialogue box will appear asking you where you want to place the unzipped files. By default, it will suggest creating a new folder in the exact same location as the ZIP file, using the exact same name.
5. Check the box that says Show extracted files when complete to save time.
6. Click the Extract button at the bottom right.

Windows will decompress the data (which may take a few moments for very large files) and automatically open a new window showing you the fully unpacked, ready-to-use files.

You can now safely delete the original ZIP file if you no longer need it, as you now have a full, uncompressed copy of all the contents.