How to zip and unzip files on Windows 11

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

A ZIP file packs several files into one and makes them a little smaller, which is handy for email attachments and uploads. Windows 11 can create and open ZIP files without any extra program.

These steps are for Windows 11.

Step by step

1. Select what you want to zip

   In File Explorer, click one file or folder. For several, hold Ctrl and click each one, or put them in a folder first.

   Done

2. Right-click and choose Show more options

   On a touch screen, press and hold instead of right-clicking. Recent versions of Windows 11 also offer Compress to in the first, short menu.

   Done

3. Choose Send to, Compressed (zipped) folder

   A new ZIP file with the same name appears in the same place. Type a new name if you like and press Enter.

   Done

4. To unzip everything

   Right-click the ZIP file and choose Extract All. Windows suggests a folder with the same name next to the ZIP file. Click Extract.

   Done

5. To take out single files

   Double-click the ZIP file to open it like a folder, then drag the files you need to another place, for example the desktop.

   Done

6. To add files to an existing ZIP

   Drag files onto the ZIP file or into its open window.

   Done

Good to know

Do not work on files while they are still inside the ZIP. Programs often cannot save them there. Extract first.

Photos in JPEG format, videos and music are already compressed and hardly get smaller in a ZIP.

Files that were encrypted on your PC lose that encryption when they are extracted from a ZIP, Microsoft warns. Windows cannot put a password on a ZIP file by itself.

For large PDFs, our free PDF compressor saves more than a ZIP does.

In short: Zip: right-click, Show more options, Send to, Compressed (zipped) folder. Unzip: right-click, Extract All.