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To stop ZIP, RAR or other archive files from appearing as folders in File Explorer, open Folder Options, select the View tab, clear Show compressed folders, and apply the change. This hides Explorer’s folder-like navigation presentation; it does not delete archives, uninstall an archive utility, or normally change which application opens them. If the checkbox is missing, a Microsoft-hosted community reply describes an advanced registry workaround, but it is build-sensitive and does not provide a complete key path.
What “archive folders” means in Windows Explorer
File Explorer can integrate compressed files into its folder interface. An archive may appear in the navigation pane with an expandable, folder-like entry, even though it is still a single file on disk. Explorer is providing a browsing view of the archive’s contents rather than converting the archive into a real directory.
The Show compressed folders option controls that presentation. Clearing it removes the archive-as-folder display from the navigation pane while leaving the original ZIP, RAR, CAB or other archive file in its normal folder. You can still select the file, open it, copy it, move it, rename it, or extract its contents according to the archive formats and applications supported by your Windows build.
This setting is narrower than changing file associations. It does not unregister a ZIP handler, remove an extraction command, or make an archive utility disappear. It is also not documented as a performance optimization; the available evidence supports a user-interface change only.
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Choose the least risky method
| Method | What it changes | Risk and reversibility | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folder Options checkbox | Hides compressed folders from Explorer’s navigation presentation. | Low risk; clear or reselect the same option to reverse it. | Use this first whenever Show compressed folders is available. |
| Registry value | Attempts to suppress the same navigation-pane display by changing an Attributes value to b094010c. |
Advanced, unsupported community workaround; behavior can vary by Windows build. Export the relevant key first. | Use only when the graphical control is absent and you accept build-sensitive troubleshooting. |
| Archive application settings | Changes which program opens or extracts an archive. | Separate from Explorer’s folder view and can affect double-click behavior. | Use when your problem is file association or encryption support, not navigation clutter. |
Disable the folder-like view with Folder Options
Windows 10 route
- Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
- Select View on the ribbon.
- Choose Options, then Change folder and search options. Some builds show the second label directly after you choose Options.
- In the Folder Options dialog, select the View tab.
- Find Show compressed folders and clear its check box.
- Select Apply, then OK.
Close and reopen any Explorer windows, or refresh the window, and inspect the left navigation pane. The archive should no longer be presented as an expandable folder. The archive file itself should still be visible in its containing directory.
Windows 11 route
- Press Windows key + E.
- Open View from the command bar.
- Open Options to launch Folder Options. Depending on the Windows 11 build, the command may be labeled Change folder and search options.
- Select View, clear Show compressed folders if it is listed, and choose Apply and OK.
- Reopen or refresh Explorer and check the navigation pane.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 expose the controls in slightly different places, and wording can change between builds. The important sequence is File Explorer → View → Options → View; do not confuse the View tab in Folder Options with the ordinary icon-size or sort controls in an Explorer window.
Confirm what the change does—and does not do
- Archives remain on disk. Clearing the option does not delete, move or rewrite a ZIP, RAR, CAB or other archive.
- Opening and extraction remain separate. You can open an archive directly, drag files out, or use Extract All where Windows supports that format.
- File associations are unchanged. Double-click behavior continues to use the current association unless you change it elsewhere.
- Only the Explorer presentation is targeted. The setting is intended to remove the expandable navigation entry, not to disable every archive feature in Windows.
If the archive still appears as a folder after applying the option, close all Explorer windows and open a new one. A restart of the Explorer process can also refresh a stale navigation pane, but it should not be necessary on every build.
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If “Show compressed folders” is missing
The checkbox is not exposed on every Windows build, managed installation or policy configuration. A missing control does not prove that archives are unsupported; it means the documented graphical switch is unavailable in that environment. Check that you are in the View tab of the Folder Options dialog, not the View menu used for arranging files. If the item is genuinely absent, you have three practical choices:
- Leave the default view in place and use a normal folder location rather than the navigation pane when browsing archives.
- Change only the archive application’s settings if your real issue is which program opens the file.
- Consider the registry workaround below only after creating a backup and accepting that it is not an official Microsoft support procedure.
Advanced fallback: change the registry value
A Microsoft Tech Community reply from DaxxonFoster (identified there as an Iron Contributor) on August 22, 2025 states: “Uncheck Show compressed folders in Folder Options > View, or modify the Attributes value to b094010c in the registry to hide the navigation pane display.” The reply does not specify a complete registry-key path and does not guarantee the result on every Windows build. Treat the suggestion as an unsupported, build-sensitive workaround rather than a standard Microsoft setting.
Prepare before editing
- Sign in with an account allowed to edit the relevant registry location.
- Create a restore point or export the specific key you are about to change in Registry Editor. An export gives you a file you can import if the change causes an unwanted result.
- Change one value at a time. Do not delete an entire key because the navigation display did not change immediately.
Apply the value
- Open Registry Editor by searching for Registry Editor from the Start menu, and approve the User Account Control prompt if Windows displays one.
- Locate the archive-navigation entry used by your build. Because the community reply does not publish a universal key path, do not assume that a path found in a different Windows version applies to yours.
- Back up that key, then edit its
Attributesvalue and enterb094010cusing the value format already shown by Registry Editor. - Close Registry Editor.
- Refresh Explorer. If the navigation pane is unchanged, restart the Explorer process or sign out and back in. Do not make additional registry edits until you have confirmed the first result.
If Explorer becomes unstable, the pane changes unexpectedly, or the archive view does not respond, use the exported key to restore the prior value. A restore point is a broader recovery option if you cannot identify the exact value you changed. Because the source does not document a complete key path, a technician familiar with your Windows build may be needed to identify the correct entry safely.
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Turn archive folder view back on
After using the graphical method
- Open File Explorer and go to View → Options (or Change folder and search options).
- Select the View tab.
- Re-select Show compressed folders.
- Choose Apply and OK, then reopen or refresh Explorer.
After using the registry method
Import the registry backup you made before editing, or restore the original Attributes data exactly as recorded in that export. Restart Explorer afterward. Do not guess at a replacement number: the community reply identifies b094010c as the hiding value but does not publish a universal original value for every build.
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Microsoft Support’s 2026-revised information for Windows 11 version 24H2 says that the system supports ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR archive formats. It also states that Windows 11 24H2 does not support operations on encrypted archive files and points users to non-Microsoft applications such as 7-Zip or WinRAR for those operations. That capability question is independent of the navigation-pane setting: hiding compressed folders does not add encryption support, and leaving the view enabled does not require you to use Microsoft’s extractor.
For a supported archive, Windows can open the file, let you drag individual contents to another location, or offer Extract All. If an archive is encrypted, damaged, split into multiple volumes, or uses a format outside your build’s built-in support, use an application that explicitly supports that operation. Installing such an application may also add its own Explorer integration, which is a separate setting from Show compressed folders.
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The title of this guide includes CAB because CAB files are commonly encountered on Windows. The current Microsoft support statement cited above specifically lists ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR for Windows 11 24H2; it does not establish a current, universal built-in CAB behavior. CAB handling can therefore vary by Windows version, component and installed software. Do not infer that hiding compressed folders enables or disables CAB extraction on your machine.
Windows 10’s support ended on October 14, 2025, according to Microsoft’s File Explorer guidance. The Folder Options procedure may still work on an existing Windows 10 installation, but labels and archive behavior are build-dependent. For a managed or older installation, verify the exact controls shown on that device before applying a registry change.
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The checkbox is present but archives still expand
- Apply the change and close every Explorer window before testing again.
- Open a new Explorer window rather than relying on a pinned or previously restored navigation state.
- Check whether the item expanding in the pane is a real folder created by extraction, not the archive file itself.
- If a third-party archive utility installed a shell extension, its integration may be adding a separate display. Review that application’s Explorer or shell-integration options without changing unrelated file associations.
The checkbox is absent after a Windows update
- Confirm that you opened the full Folder Options dialog through View → Options.
- Compare the labels with your Windows edition and build; Microsoft changes command-bar wording between Windows 10 and Windows 11 releases.
- Use the registry approach only with a backup and only if the navigation clutter justifies advanced maintenance.
Archives no longer open as expected
Re-enabling the folder view will not repair a changed file association. Right-click an archive, choose Open with, and select the application you intend to use. For encrypted files or unsupported formats, install or use an extractor that advertises support for that format; the Explorer presentation checkbox cannot provide that capability.
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The registry edit produced no visible result
The community reply does not promise a universal key path or immediate refresh. Restart Explorer, verify that the value was entered as b094010c, and confirm that you edited the intended Attributes value rather than an unrelated key. If you cannot identify the correct entry for your build, restore the backup and stop rather than making speculative edits.
Which setting should you change?
Use the Folder Options checkbox when your goal is simply a cleaner navigation pane. It is reversible, does not alter archive ownership or associations, and is the only method in this guide presented as a normal Explorer setting. Use an archive application’s preferences when you want to change extraction, encryption or double-click behavior. Reserve the registry workaround for cases where the checkbox is unavailable and you can safely back up and recover the affected key.
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