Windows zip from cmd

Last Updated :
30 Aug, 2024

One effective technique to handle data without depending on third-party software is to use the Command Prompt (CMD) on Windows to compress and extract files and directories. To use CMD to compress files and directories, you must utilize the integrated 7z command-line tool. If you work with large files on your Windows computer, then you need to know how to extract files and folders using the command prompt on Windows. You can manage your documents using the command prompt in just simple steps.

In this article, we will show you how to use basic command prompt commands to compress or extract files and folders. This method also helps in improving the efficiency of file transfer and also saves disk space. Now, follow the below methods step-by-step to Compress or Extract files and folders using CMD.

How to Compress or Extract files and folders using CMD?

Although it is mainly used for NTFS file compression, Windows comes with an integrated application called Compact that allows you to compress files and folders. On the other hand, Windows 10 and later versions of Windows allow you to use the Compact command to create ZIP files. Here are some straightforward ways to compress and extract files and folders using the Command Prompt on Windows, complete with a step-by-step guide.

Method 1: Using Compact Command

Step 1: To compress files Click ‘Win + R‘, type ‘cmd’ in the open box, and then press Enter.

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Step 2: Next, change the directory to the target location using the cd command:

cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents

Step 3: After you have navigated to the directory where compression is needed, type the following command to compress a file:

compact /c filename.ext

Replace filename.ext with the name of the file, you want to compress.

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To compress an entire folder and its subfolders:

compact /c /s:directoryname

Replace directoryname with the name of the folder you want to compress.

Method 2: Creating a Compressed ZIP File Using Compress Command

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

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Step 2: Use the Makecab Command:

First, list all files into a directive file:

dir /b /s *.* > list.txt

Step 3: Then compress the files listed in list.txt:

makecab /f list.txt

How to Extract Files and Folders?

Now, let’s check out two different methods on how to extract any file and folder using the command prompt in no time.

Method 1: Using Expand Command

Step 1: Search for Command Prompt by either clicking on the Start menu or pressing Win + R. Type cmd, and then hit the Enter key.

Step 2: Use Expand Command:

Navigate to the location of your compressed file (.cab), Use the cd command to navigate:

cd C:\Path\To\Your\File

from there, you can make use of Expand Command.

expand filename.cab -F:* C:\DestinationFolder

Replace filename.cab with the name of your compressed file and C:\DestinationFolder with the path where you want the files to be extracted.

Method 2: Extracting ZIP Files using PowerShell

Step 1: To launch PowerShell, type that in the Start menu.

Step 2: Use the cd command to navigate to the location of the file:

cd C:\Path\To\Your\File

Step 3: Extract the ZIP file:

Expand-Archive -Path "C:\path\to\your\file.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\path\to\extract\to"

Replace "C:\path\to\your\file.zip" with the path to your ZIP file and "C:\path\to\extract\to" with the path where you want the files to be extracted.

These methods provide you with basic skills for compression and extraction using Command Prompt and PowerShell for files on Windows.

Conclusion

To put it simply, using the Command Prompt in Windows for file/folder compression or deletion is straightforward and efficient. This strategy is particularly valuable for handling large data sets economically. If you learn just a handful of basic commands like ‘’compact” and ”expand’’, you can reduce volumes of disk space and enhance your file organization. Employing these commands consistently will enhance your expertise and enable you to exploit all the capabilities your Windows system offers.

Also Read

• How to Unzip Files on Windows and Mac?
• How to Compress Files in Linux | Tar Command
• How to compress file in Linux | Compress Command

In today’s fast-paced world, time is key and when it comes to sharing files over the internet, you can get irritated because you have to wait. But what if I tell you that you can reduce the size of your files without compromising their integrity? Yes! You can do it using the “Zipping” method.

The “Zipping” method refers to creating the compressed files in the “.zip” format. In Windows, you can utilize multiple methods to create a “.zip” file with reduced size to save disk space and bandwidth while sharing. 

Today’s guide explores the methods to “Zip” or “Unzip” files using the Windows Command Line.

Content Overview

By following this guide, you will learn:

• Zip and Unzip Files Via the Command Prompt
• Zip and Unzip Files Via the Windows PowerShell

Let’s dive into the details of the above.

Zip and Unzip Files Via the Command Prompt

For zipping and unzipping files via the Command Prompt, follow these approaches:

• The “tar” Command
• The “7zip” Utility

Zip and Unzip Files Using the “tar” Command on Windows

The “tar” is originally a *nix command-line utility, but now in the latest versions of Windows, it is officially supported. The use of the “tar” command to zip or unzip files in Windows Command Line is as follows:

Zip Files Using the “tar” Command as follows:

tar -c -f ZipFileName.zip File-To-Zip

Here,

• The “tar” invokes the “tar” command.
• The “-c” flag stands for “Create” which means creating the archive.
• The “-f” flag specifies the name of the output archive.

Below is the execution of the command, but first you must navigate to the specified directory and list files using the following commands:

cd <Path to the Specified Directory>
dir

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Now use the following command to create a “.zip” file for the “file.txt”:

tar -c -f files.zip file.txt

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Unzip Files Using the “tar” Command

To unzip the files using the “tar” command on Windows, run the following command and replace files.zip with the name or the path to the zipped file you want to extract:

tar -xf files.zip
dir

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Zip and Unzip Files Using the “7zip” Utility on Windows

The “7zip” is a popular and open-source cross-platform file management utility that lets you create and extract zip files. To use it on Windows, execute the following command in Windows PowerShell to install Chocolatey – A PowerShell utility to install and manage Windows apps:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

After installing the “Chocolatey” use the below-mentioned command to install “7zip”:

choco install 7zip.install -y

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Now to create a zip file of all the text files in the navigated directory using the “7zip”, execute this command:

7z a -t7z files.7z *.txt

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Note: You can remove the * from the above command and insert a file name as well.

For unzipping the files using the “7zip”, you need to execute the below command and replace “files.7z” with the file’s name you want to unzip:

7z e files.7z

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Note: You can use the “7zip” and “tar” in Windows PowerShell in the same way as the Command Prompt.

Zip and Unzip Files Via the Windows PowerShell

We have already discussed zipping and unzipping the files using the Command Prompt (the same can be used in Windows PowerShell). However, in Windows PowerShell, you can use the “Compress-Archive” cmdlet to zip and “Expand-Archive” to unzip the files.

The “Compress-Archive” is used to create the zip files, as illustrated in the below command:

$compress = @{
>>   Path = "C:\Users\Ali\Documents"
>>   CompressionLevel = "Fastest"                                                    	>>   DestinationPath = "C:\Archives\Draft.zip"                                       	>> }                                                                                 	>> Compress-Archive @compress                                                        	PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> 	

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Now check the contents of the directory in which the zipped file is stored:

dir C:\Archives

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To unzip the files using the “Expand-Archive” cmdlet, run the following command:

Expand-Archive -Path C:\Archives\Draft.zip -DestinationPath C:\Users\Ali\Documents

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That’s all for this post to zip and unzip files in Windows Command Line.

Final Words

To zip and unzip files in Windows Command Line, use the “tar” or “7zip” utilities in either Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell. Additionally, you can use the “Compress-Archive” cmdlet to create a zipped file and “Expand-Archive” to unzip it. This guide has discussed the methods to zip and unzip files using the Windows PowerShell and Command Prompt.