Top 7 Fixes for ‘Compress to ZIP File’ Option Not Working in Windows 11 (2024)

Windows 11 has a handy file compression feature that makes it simple to free up storage space and send files over the internet. While you can access the ‘Compress to ZIP file’ option by simply right-clicking on a file or folder, there can be times when the feature stops working on your Windows 11 PC.

There can be several reasons for this issue, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, follow the troubleshooting tips below to restore Windows’ ability to compress files and folders.

1. Try Another File or Folder

First, try compressing another file or folder on Windows and see if it works. This should help you confirm if it’s a system-wide issue. Right-click on another file or folder and select the ‘Compress to ZIP file’ option from the context menu. Once you do that, Windows should create a ZIP file in the same location.

If you can compress other files without any issues, the original file or folder you are having trouble with may be corrupted.

2. Modify Folder Optimization Settings

Windows 11 has an Automatic Folder Type Discovery feature, which automatically optimizes your folders based on their contents. If this feature cannot identify the contents of a folder correctly, the ‘Compress to ZIP file’ option may not work. Here’s what you can do to fix it.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + E keyboard shortcut to open File Explorer and locate the folder you want to compress. Right-click on it and select Properties.

Step 2: Switch to the Customize tab.

Step 3: Click the drop-down menu under ‘Optimize this folder for’ and select General items. Then, hit Apply followed by OK.

After completing the above steps, try to compress the folder and see if it works.

3. Change Default App for ZIP Files

Another reason why you may be unable to compress a file or folder into a ZIP is if the default file association is not set properly. Here’s how to fix that.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app. Select the Apps tab from the left pane and click on Default apps.

Step 2: Type .zip in the search box and select the first result that appears.

Step 3: Select File Explorer and click the Set default button to confirm.

Try compressing a file or folder again and see if it works.

4. Run the File and Folder Troubleshooter

Microsoft offers a useful troubleshooter for fixing various issues with file and folder operations on Windows. You can try running this tool to see if it gets the ‘Compress to Zip File’ option to work on your Windows 11 PC.

Step 1: Download the File and Folder Troubleshooter from Microsoft’s website.

Download the File and Folder Troubleshooter

Step 2: Double-click the downloaded file. Then, click Next to run the troubleshooter.

Step 3: Select the ‘Renaming or moving files and folders’ and ‘Others or I don’t know’ options and hit Next.

Allow the troubleshooter to detect and fix any issues, then try to compress files again.

5. Run the SFC and DISM Scans

Damaged or corrupted system files on your PC can also disrupt system operations on Windows 11 and cause the ‘Compress to Zip file’ option to stop working. Fortunately, Windows includes some useful tools—SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management)—that can help you repair corrupt system files. To run them, use these steps:

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.

Step 2: Select Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.

Step 3: Type the following command in the console and press Enter.

SFC /scannow

Step 4: Run the following commands individually and press Enter after each to run the DISM scan.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Restart your PC after this and check if the issue is still there.

6. Scan for Malware

Such issues can also arise if your PC is infected with malware. So, if the SFC and DISM scans do not find any problems, you can use Windows Defender to scan your system for malware. If the scan detects anything suspicious, take the recommended steps to eliminate the threat.

7. Use a Third-Party File Compression Tool

If nothing works, you can use a third-party file compression tool to compress files and folders on your Windows 11 PC. These dedicated tools are often more reliable and have more features than the native file compression tool on Windows. 7-Zip is a popular file compression tool that is free to use and can help you compress almost any file or folder.

Step 1: Download and install 7-Zip on your PC.

Download 7-Zip

Step 2: Right-click on the file or folder you want to compress and select Show more options.

Step 3: Hover your mouse over 7-Zip and select the ‘Add to [FileName.zip]’ option from the submenu.

The tool will compress the file and folder into a ZIP file and save it in the same location as the original file.

Pack It Tight

Windows’ built-in file compression feature is useful for freeing up disk space. Hopefully, one of the above tips has resolved the issue, and the ‘Compress to ZIP file’ option is now working on your Windows 11 PC. If not, you can use a dedicated file compression app to complete the job.