In Windows 10 and earlier versions, PC users had to use third-party apps to create and open the popular RAR, TAR, and 7z archive file formats. Until about a year ago, Windows 11 natively supported the creation and extraction of only one archive file format – ZIP.
About a year ago, Microsoft added the ability to extract RAR, TAR, and 7z file formats without using additional software, thanks to the lib archive open-source project.
Now, the newest Windows 11 build supports creating 7z and TAR archive files out of the box. This means Windows 11 can now create 7z and TAR file formats and extract RAR, 7z, and TAR files out of the box.
Compress files into 7z, TAR, and ZIP archives in Windows 11 without using additional apps
Method 1 of 2
Step 1: Select the file(s) you want to compress into ZIP, TAR, or 7z.
Step 2: Right-click on the selected file(s), click Compress to, and select between ZIP, TAR, or 7z to create a compressed file in the same folder by the same name.
NOTE: If the Compress to option is missing, it’s likely because you are an older version of Windows 11. Please update Windows 11 to the latest version and then try again.
Method 2 of 2
Step 1: Select files you want to compress into RAR, TAR, or 7z files.
Step 2: Right-click on them, click Compress to, and then click Advanced options to open the Create Archive wizard.
Step 3: Here, you can select the location where you would like to save the new archive/compressed file, select the archive format (7z, TAR, ZIP), and select the compression method and compression level.
Step 4: Finally, click the Create button.
Extract RAR, TAR, ZIP, and 7z files in Windows 11
Step 1: Right-click on a RAR, TAR, or 7z file and then click Extract all to open the Extract Archive dialog.
Step 2: Here, select a location to save the extracted files and then click the Extract button. That’s it!
Alternatively, if you have a single archive file, double-click on it to view files inside it and then copy the files.
Can Windows 11 create password-protected 7z or ZIP files?
No, Windows 11 does not support creating password-protected ZIP, 7z, or TAR files. You need to use third-party software such as the 7-Zip app for that.
Leave a Reply