Microsoft’s Windows 11 will soon have built-in support for 7-Zip and RAR file formats, eliminating the need for third-party apps or programs. Previously, users had to rely on additional software to extract these archive file types. However, with the upcoming Windows 11 22H2 update, Microsoft will enable native support for nearly a dozen archive file formats, including RAR, 7-Zip, Tar, and GZ archives.

This development was announced during the Build 2023 conference and is part of October’s optional KB5031455 Preview cumulative update. To access this new feature, users will need to navigate to Settings, select Windows Update, and choose “Check for Updates.” Once the optional update is available, they can download and install it.

After the update, Windows 11 will support various archive file types, such as .rar, .7z, .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar.zst, .tar.xz, .tgz, .tbz2, .tzst, and .txz. However, password-encrypted files are not covered in this update, although Microsoft has hinted that support for them may come soon.

Microsoft collaborated with the open-source libarchive project to enable this new feature. This project also allows users to enable support for additional file formats like LZH and XAR, suggesting that future updates may include in-house Windows 11 support for these formats as well. The inclusion of support for the .gz archive file format will be particularly beneficial for Windows Subsystem for Linux users.

For those eager to try this new capability on Windows 11, manual installation is required. However, a scheduled Windows 11 cumulative update in November will also include this feature. Alongside the improved file capabilities, users can expect other enhancements with the Moment 4 update, including a revamped File Explorer, updated Backup app, a new Passkey Manager, and the innovative Windows Copilot.

This update is a significant improvement for Windows users as ZIP, 7-Zip, and RAR archive formats are widely used. Since 1998, Windows has supported ZIP archive files natively, and the addition of support for 7-Zip, RAR, and gz files simplifies the process without the need for additional applications.