With the recent updates, you can now create TAR and 7z format compressed archive files directly in File Explorer. There is no need for any third-party zip software such as 7-zip. The process is similar to how you create zip files in Windows 11. While most Windows users rarely need to create files in TAR or 7z compression formats, there might be situations such as creating backup archives, ultra-compressed archive files, exporting source code, etc., where you might need these file formats.
In this quick and easy tutorial, I will show you the steps to create TAR and 7z files in Windows 11 without using any external software. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- You should be using Windows 11 v23H2 or higher. If you don’t know, here’s how to find out which Windows 11 version you are using.
- Before proceeding, make sure all the files you want to compress and archive are in one folder.
Steps to Create TAR & 7z Files in Windows 11
- Open File Explorer by pressing “Windows key + E“.
- Find the folder you want to compress.
- Right-click on the folder.
- Select “Compress to” > “TAR File” or “7z File“.
- With that, Windows 11 compresses and creates the TAR or 7z archive depending on what you selected.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
To start, open the File Explorer window using the “Windows key + E” shortcut.
Next, find the folder you want to compress, right-click on it, and select “Compress to” and then the “TAR File” or “7z File” option to create a TAR archive or 7z archive respectively.
As soon as you select the option, Windows 11 creates the TAR/7z archive file using the default settings.
If you want to customize the compression level and compression method, select “Additional options” from the “Compress to” menu in the context menu.
In the “Create Archive” window, select the “Archive format“, “Compression method“, “Compression level“, and click the “Create” button.
Note: The higher the compression level, the smaller will be the archive file size. However, the more time it takes to compress and decompress the archive.
After creating the archive, you can use File Explorer to open the TAR and 7 Z files directly. Or, you can also use PowerShell.
Wrapping Up — Creating TAR and 7Z Files in Windows 11
Thanks to the updates, you no longer have to use third-party archiving software to create archive files like TAR and 7z. Once created, you can open them like any other file.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you are sharing TAR or 7z archive files with other Windows users, they might need to install additional software to open them if they are not using up-to-date Windows 11. Also, as of now, you cannot create password-protected archives in Windows. For that, you have to use software like 7-zip.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
