Compress files into an archive
1. Select the files and folders you want to package.
2. Choose Compress from the toolbar or the context menu.
3. Pick the archive type: ZIP for maximum compatibility, 7z for smaller files and stronger options, or TAR / GZIP for other needs.
4. Enter an archive name and location, then confirm. A new archive file is created.
Tip: Right-click a folder and choose a one-click compress action (Compress to ZIP or Compress to 7z) to create the archive in the same place without a dialog.
Advanced compression options
When you create an archive, you can tune these options:
- Compression level — None, Fast, Low, Normal, High, or Ultra (higher = smaller but slower).
- Password protection — encrypt the archive with a password (with optional header encryption for 7z).
- Split volumes — split a large archive into 100 MB, 650 MB, 4 GB, DVD, or Blu-ray sized parts.
- CPU threads and, for 7z, dictionary / word size for advanced tuning.
Tip: Password-protected archives must be decrypted every time you extract; keep your password safe because it cannot be recovered if lost.
Extract an archive
1. Right-click the archive file.
2. Choose Extract and pick a destination, or use the quick options:
- Extract here (Ctrl+E) — unpack into the current folder.
- Extract here (smart) (Ctrl+Shift+E) — create a subfolder automatically.
- Extract to a child folder — unpack into a new folder named after the archive.
3. If the archive is encrypted, enter the password when prompted.
Tip: Extraction uses the 7-Zip engine and supports a wide range of formats, including ZIP, 7z, RAR, TAR, GZIP and many more.
Open an archive as a folder
You can browse an archive without extracting it first:
1. Open the archive by double-clicking it.
2. It appears like a virtual folder — browse its contents and even drag a single file out to extract just that file.
Tip: This is handy when you only need one file and want to avoid unpacking everything.
Watch archive progress
Compress and extract operations show live progress in the Status Center, so you can monitor large jobs, pause or cancel them, and see the final result.