How to Open ZIP, RAR, 7Z and Other Archive Files on Windows

An archive is a container. ZIP, RAR, 7Z, and TAR pack files so you can download one object instead of a folder tree. Opening that container is easy when Windows already knows the format, and frustrating when the file is encrypted, split, or older than your PC’s update level.

The short answer

On every supported Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC you can unzip a normal ZIP in File Explorer with Extract All, or by dragging files out. On Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft documents File Explorer support for ZIP, RAR, 7z, and TAR as well — but not for encrypted archives. For passwords, split volumes, or a clearer look at nested installers, use 7-Zip or WinRAR 64-bit.

What you are actually opening

.zipEmail, catalogs, generic downloadsCompressed Folders on Windows 10 and 11.rarShared folders, some software packsFile Explorer on Windows 11 24H2; encrypted RARs need another app.7zOpen-source and high-compression packsFile Explorer on Windows 11 24H2; same encryption limit.tar, .tar.gz, .tgz, and similarDeveloper and Unix-style downloadsExplorer on recent Windows 11; tar.exe on Windows 10/11

Names can stack: project.tar.gz is a tar archive compressed with gzip. Windows 11’s extra-format work uses the open-source libarchive project. Microsoft’s tar on Windows page also documents a tar.exe based on libarchive’s bsdtar for command-line create, list, and extract — including .tar, .tar.gz, .zip, and .7z.

Extract a ZIP with File Explorer

Microsoft’s zip and unzip guide applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11:

1. Locate the zipped folder in File Explorer.
2. To take everything: right-click (on Windows 11, use Show more options if Extract All is not on the compact menu) and choose Extract All…, then pick a destination.
3. To take one item: open the zipped folder and drag that file or folder to a normal folder, such as Documents.

To create a ZIP, Microsoft still documents right-click > Show more options > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. That path is the reliable one when you only need a zip for email.

Windows 11 24H2: more formats in Explorer

The same Microsoft Support FAQ states that Windows 11, version 24H2 supports ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR. It also states that 24H2 does not support operations on encrypted archive files, and it points people to non-Microsoft tools such as 7-Zip or WinRAR for those.

Windows 11 24H2 release notes add File Explorer context-menu support for creating 7-Zip and TAR archives, and Compress to > Additional options for gzip, BZip2, xz, or Zstandard on individual files.

If Extract All is missing on a .rar or .7z:

• Check Windows version: Settings > System > About > Windows specifications. 24H2 is the version Microsoft names for this FAQ.
• A third-party archiver may already own the file association. You can still right-click > Open with > File Explorer, or change defaults under Settings > Apps > Default apps.
• Windows 10 PCs should not expect Explorer to behave like 24H2 for RAR/7z. Install 7-Zip or WinRAR 64-bit instead.

Open the same file in 7-Zip

7-Zip is useful even on a fully updated Windows 11 PC because the File Manager shows the tree, paths, and sizes before you write anything to disk. Catalog notes for 7-Zip: it opens 7z, zip, rar, tar, wim, iso, and more; it can create 7z and zip; it cannot create RAR.

1. Install 7-Zip from the Softcoria page (verify the hash as usual).
2. Right-click the archive > 7-Zip > Open archive to browse, or Extract to "folder\" for a sibling folder with the same name.
3. Look at paths. A payload that unpacks to C:\Windows or hides an EXE three folders deep is worth a pause. See How to Check if a Windows Program Is Safe Before Installing It before you run that EXE.

If you cannot find the archive after download, Everything locates it by name faster than Explorer search.

WinRAR for RAR-specific jobs

WinRAR 64-bit is the x64 Windows GUI from RARLAB. Official product copy highlights RAR and ZIP creation, AES-256 password protection, recovery records, split volumes, and self-extracting archives. Current stable Windows releases are 64-bit; 32-bit Windows is not the audience for those builds.

Use WinRAR when you need to:

• Create a RAR (7-Zip will not do this).
• Add a recovery record for a file you will copy over unreliable media.
• Open an encrypted RAR that File Explorer refuses.
• Work with multivolume .part1.rar sets. Point WinRAR at the first volume.

WinRAR is commercial trial software with a documented 40-day evaluation. After that, RARLAB requires a license or uninstall. The program may keep working with reminders; that does not change the license terms.

For a head-to-head of 7-Zip, WinRAR, and WinZip, use 7-Zip vs WinRAR vs WinZip.

Command line: tar.exe

On current Windows 10 and 11 you can list and extract without a GUI:

tar -tf archive.tar.gz
tar -xf archive.tar.gz

Microsoft’s examples also show creating zip with auto format selection:

tar -caf archive.zip .\my-folder

This is handy on a PC where you do not want to install anything else. It is a poor viewer for a 400-file installer tree — use 7-Zip’s manager there.

Password-protected and damaged archives

If Explorer reports that encrypted files are not supported, that matches Microsoft’s 24H2 FAQ. Open the archive in 7-Zip or WinRAR and enter the password in that window. Do not download a separate “RAR password recovery” utility to solve a ZIP you were sent at work.

If the archive is truncated, 7-Zip and WinRAR will usually error while listing or extracting. WinRAR’s repair option applies to RAR archives that include a recovery record; it is not magic for a half-downloaded zip. Re-download instead of running a “repair tool” from a banner ad.

After you extract: what to do with the files

• Documents and photos: move them to Documents or Pictures. Sumatra PDF is enough if a readme arrived as a PDF.
• Installers: treat the extracted EXE like any other download. Hash it if the vendor published one. Then follow How to Safely Download and Install Software on Windows.
• Portable folders: run the documented EXE from the extracted folder. If Windows still cannot start it, you may have the wrong architecture — x64 vs x86 vs ARM64.

Screenshot a confusing extract dialog with ShareX if you need to compare it with a vendor’s instructions.

Common mistakes

• Extracting onto the Desktop every time, then losing the payload in a pile of folders named New folder.
• Opening a zip that contains another zip and running the inner file without looking.
• Assuming Windows 10 File Explorer can Extract All on RAR the way 24H2 can.
• Using a “free unpacker” search ad instead of 7-Zip, WinRAR, or Explorer.
• Deleting the archive before you confirm the extracted copy opens. Keep the original until you have a working folder.

Troubleshooting

Double-click does nothing or asks for an app. The association is empty or pointed at a removed program. Try Extract All, or Open with 7-Zip / WinRAR. Check Default apps by file type.

You only get a .001 file. That is often a split 7z or other multi-volume set. Native Explorer support does not replace the original tool for those. Gather every part, then open the first piece in 7-Zip.

Filenames look like garbage characters. Older archives may use a non-UTF-8 code page. 7-Zip lets you pick a code page when names are wrong; retry before you rename everything by hand.

Windows says the file is a zip but 7-Zip says it is something else. Trust the tool that can list contents. Some downloads are mislabeled. Properties > Type and a 7-Zip “Open archive” are more reliable than the extension alone.

FAQ

Can Windows 11 open RAR and 7Z without extra software?

On Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft documents support for ZIP, RAR, 7z, and TAR in File Explorer. Earlier Windows 11 updates also added libarchive-based extraction for several of those types. Encrypted archives are not supported by the built-in tools. Windows 10 still relies on Compressed Folders for ZIP and needs another program for most RAR/7z work in Explorer.

Why does Extract All fail with a password error?

Microsoft’s unzip FAQ states that Windows 11 24H2 does not operate on encrypted archive files. Use 7-Zip or WinRAR, which the same article names as options, and enter the password in that app — never in a random “unlocker” you just downloaded.

Should I double-click an archive or extract it first?

Browsing inside is fine for a look. For anything you plan to run, extract to a new folder, then inspect the files. Running an EXE from inside a still-compressed folder can fail, and it hides the real path from you.

What is the difference between ZIP, RAR, and 7Z?

They are different container formats. ZIP is the Windows default for “Compressed (zipped) folder.” RAR is created by RARLAB tools such as WinRAR. 7z is 7-Zip’s format and is also readable by many other archivers. A third-party tool can often open all three; creating RAR still requires RARLAB software.

Can File Explorer create 7z files now?

Windows 11 24H2 added File Explorer context-menu support for creating 7-Zip and TAR archives, plus Compress to > Additional options for gzip, BZip2, xz, or Zstandard on individual files. The built-in tools remain basic compared with 7-Zip or WinRAR for split volumes, recovery records, and encryption.

ISO and EXE files showed up next to my zip. Are those archives?

An .iso is a disc image; Windows can often mount it. An .exe might be a self-extracting archive or a normal installer. Do not assume “it is just a zip with a different name.” Check the type in Properties and, for an EXE, the safety steps in the related guides.

The archive extracted but the program still will not run.

You may have extracted a downloader, a portable folder missing a DLL, or the wrong architecture. Confirm you opened the file you thought you opened, then check System type as in the architecture guide. If the payload is an installer, switch to the safe-install walkthrough.

Conclusion

ZIP is a File Explorer job on every current Windows PC. RAR, 7z, and TAR are Explorer jobs on Windows 11 24H2 unless the archive is encrypted or split. Keep 7-Zip for inspection and formats Explorer still handles poorly, and keep WinRAR when you actually need RAR creation or recovery records.

Related Softcoria guides

• 7-Zip vs WinRAR vs WinZip — which dedicated archiver to install
• How to Safely Download and Install Software on Windows — if the archive contains setup
• How to Check if a Windows Program Is Safe Before Installing It — before you run an extracted EXE
• How to verify a downloaded installer — hash the setup after you unpack it

Related software

• 7-Zip — browse and extract 7z, zip, rar, and more
• WinRAR 64-bit — RAR creation, recovery records, encrypted RARs
• Everything — find the archive by name after it lands
• Sumatra PDF — read a PDF that came inside the zip
• ShareX — capture Explorer or 7-Zip dialogs