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SimpleZipDrive is a cross-platform application for Windows, Linux, and macOS 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 directory mount points. Mounted archives appear and behave exactly like a regular drive in your file manager and every other application — files can be browsed, opened, and streamed directly from the archive without extracting it first.
Current version: 3.1.0 · License: GPL v3 · Downloads: Releases
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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 is a single cross-platform application; the mount backend is selected in Settings:
| Windows | Linux / macOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Filesystem driver | WinFsp ≥ 2.1 or Dokan v2 ≥ 2.3, or Auto | FUSE (libfuse3 / macFUSE) |
| Drive-letter mounts | ✔ | — |
| Folder mounts | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cross-integrity mounts | ✔ (WinFsp only) | — |
See Mount Backends 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
- Mount Backends — WinFsp vs. Dokan vs. FUSE in depth
Deep Dives — overview
- 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
Operations — overview
- 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
Development — overview
- 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
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10/11 (x64 or ARM64), Linux (x64 or ARM64), macOS (Intel or Apple silicon) |
| Runtime | .NET 10 Runtime |
| Filesystem driver | Windows: Dokan v2 2.3+ (default) or WinFsp 2.1+ - install either driver and select it in Settings (Auto prefers WinFsp) · Linux: libfuse3 · macOS: macFUSE |
| Disk space | ~15 MB for the application; temp space equal to the largest file you open when the disk cache is used |
| Memory | The memory cache is clamped to 90 % of installed RAM; the per-entry default is 512 MB |