Windows 11 zipped folders / files immediately crashes File Explorer

Anonymous

My Dell laptop was previously Windows 10, now 11. When I right click any zipped folder, it immediately crashes Windows Explorer, but then everything comes back. I can't unzip any zipped file at all - doesn't seem to matter what size it is.

I was trying to use the built-in unzipper utility in Windows, and when that didn't work I tried a couple 3rd party apps, including WinZip. Nothing works; they all crash, and they crash on ANY zipped file I have.

And by the way if I try to ZIP any set of files - even just 3 little word files, it does the same thing. The screen flashes, all my icons go away for a second. Then things come back, but nothing will zip or unzip.

thanks if you have any ideas!

Christine

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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120 answers

Anonymous

2022-02-11T21:25:42+00:00

Same problem here on brand new MS Surface Pro 8.
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Anonymous

2022-02-08T21:42:01+00:00

Hello,

I'm also having this problem. I just got a new laptop for a friend, installed her software, migrated her files, and the first time we click a zip file in Windows Explorer, it crashed.

I tried the troubleshooter, DISM (restore health variation), sfc/ scannow, clearing the cache of Explorer, changing the Explorer default from Quick Access to This PC, restarting the computer (in between each troubleshooting step), getting all Windows updates (one was missing and some Office updates were not installed), restarting Windows Explorer using the Task Manager, and using ShellMenuView to disable context menu items selectively for testing. Nothing is working. We're using the 7-zip workaround that Alex Hare shared in this thread. (Thank you!) Here are a few screen captures that might help. In the half-hour or so that I was online with her today, Windows Explorer crashed 46 times. Ugh.
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Anonymous

2022-01-31T15:36:37+00:00

I'm having the same problem as Alex Hare described.

Installed Win 11 a few days ago. Yesterday was the first time I tried to do anything with a zip file, i.e. click and drag it into a folder. FE blows up and that's that.

All I have to do is right-mouse-click on a zip file and it happens.

This is serious enough for me to revert back to Win 10.
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Anonymous

2022-01-27T20:06:39+00:00

I've been having the same problem. Any time I click on a .zip file, attempt to open it, or do anything with a window that contains a .zip file, File Explorer crashes and takes all my open FE windows with it.

The only way I can do anything with .zip files is to launch 7-Zip separately and navigate to the .zip file through the 7-Zip UI. Once I've unzipped the file, I can work with that folder window without problems.

Any idea what's causing this? I've used .zip files for years in Windows 10 with zero problems. Seems like a random thing to go wrong with Windows 11.

I've applied all available Windows updates.
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SD - IA 179.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2022-01-24T04:59:28+00:00

Hi Christine,

I am Sumit here to assist you with this question.

Let us see if something is named in the crash information.

In the Search type in "View all problem reports" and press Enter.

Right-click on Windows Explorer crash details and click view technical details.

Post a screenshot of that Window.
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