SimpleZipDrive is a Windows application that mounts ZIP, 7Z, RAR, and TAR archives (including compressed TAR variants and comic-book archives), Zstd-seekable .zar containers, and Xbox XISO disc images as virtual drives or NTFS directory mount points. Mounted archives appear and behave exactly like a regular drive in File Explorer and every other application — files can be browsed, opened, and streamed directly from the archive without extracting it first.

Current version: 3.0.1 · License: GPL v3 · Downloads: Releases

• Multi-format support — .zip, .7z, .rar, .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar.xz, .tgz, .tbz2, .txz, .cbz, .cbr, .cb7, .zar, Xbox disc images .iso / .xiso / .cso.
• Drive-letter or folder mounting — mount on the first free drive letter from M–Q, a letter you choose, or any folder path.
• Hybrid caching engine — zero-copy direct reads for stored ZIP entries, per-block random access for .zar (Zstd seekable) and Xbox images (.iso/.cso), a shared in-memory cache for small files with decompress-once/share-across-handles semantics, and a disk cache for very large entries.
• Read-only and safe — the mounted volume is strictly read-only; the underlying archive is never modified.
• Encrypted archives — password-protected archives prompt for a password, with verification and up to three attempts.
• Cross-integrity mounting (WinFsp) — makes a mounted drive visible to both standard and elevated (Administrator) processes.
• Drag-and-drop — drop an archive onto the executable and it mounts automatically.
• Configurable memory limit — per-file RAM cache limit (512 MB default), clamped automatically to 90 % of available system memory.
• Built-in diagnostics — session logs, native driver debug logs, orphaned temp-file cleanup, and automatic bug reporting.

SimpleZipDrive ships as two separate executables that share the same core engine and user interface:

See Variants for a detailed comparison and help choosing.

• Installation — prerequisites, which package to download, install/upgrade/uninstall
• Getting Started — your first mount in two minutes
• Usage Guide — every way to mount, unmount, and operate the app
• Variants — Dokan vs. WinFsp in depth

• Mounting — mount-point resolution, drive letters, folder and cross-integrity mounts, error codes
• Caching — the memory and disk cache architecture and tuning
• Performance — expected performance, benchmarks, and tuning tips
• Archive Support — supported formats, compression, encryption, and the 7-Zip fallback
• Security & Privacy — read-only guarantees, UAC, DACLs, and what data leaves your machine

• Configuration — settings reference and data locations
• Logging — log files, bug reporting, and how to collect diagnostics
• Troubleshooting — solutions for every common error
• FAQ — frequently asked questions

• Architecture — how the software works inside
• Building & Packaging — build, publish, and release process
• Development Setup — environment, tests, and conventions
• Contributing — issues, pull requests, and licensing