Create a new archive, or zipped file, from specified files and folders.
Syntax
Compress-Archive [-Path] String[] [-DestinationPath] String
[-CompressionLevel String ] [-Update]
[-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [CommonParameters]
Compress-Archive [-DestinationPath] String -LiteralPath String[]
[-CompressionLevel String ] [-Update]
[-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [CommonParameters]
key
-CompressionLevel String
How much compression to apply when creating the archive file.
Faster compression requires less time to create the file, but can result in larger file sizes.
The default value is Optimal. valid values for this parameter:
-- Fastest Use the fastest compression method available to decrease processing time;
this can result in larger file sizes.
-- NoCompression Do not compress the source files.
-- Optimal Processing time is dependent on file size.
-DestinationPath String
The path to the archive output file. (required)
The specified DestinationPath value should include the desired name of
the output zipped file; it specifies either the absolute or relative path to the zipped file.
If the DestinationPath does not include a .zip file name extension, one will be added.
-LiteralPath String[]
The path (or paths) to the files to add to the archive zipped file.
Unlike the -Path parameter, the value of -LiteralPath is used exactly as it is typed.
No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters,
enclose each escape character in single quotation marks, to instruct PowerShell not to
interpret any characters as escape sequences.
To specify multiple paths, and include files in multiple locations in your output zipped file,
use commas to separate the paths.[]
-Path String[]
Specifies the path or paths to the files that you want to add to the archive zipped file.
This parameter can accept wildcard characters. Wildcard characters allow you to add all
files in a folder to your zipped archive file.
To specify multiple paths, and include files in multiple locations in your output zipped file,
use commas to separate the paths.
-Update
Update the specified archive replacing older versions of files in the archive with newer
versions of files that have the same names. This can be used to add files to an existing archive.
-Confirm
Prompt for confirmation before executing the command.
-WhatIf
Describe what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.
CommonParameters:
-Verbose, -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -WarningAction, -WarningVariable,
-OutBuffer -OutVariable.
Examples
Create a new archive file:
C:\PS> Compress-Archive -LiteralPath C:\demo\Draft.doc, C:\demo\final.doc -CompressionLevel Optimal -DestinationPath C:\output\new.Zip
Create an archive (new.zip) from an entire folder (the .zip extension is added automatically):
C:\PS> Compress-Archive -Path C:\demo -DestinationPath C:\output\new
Create a new archive called Multi.zip, containing multiple files specified with a wildcard character:
C:\PS> Compress-Archive -Path C:\demo\* -CompressionLevel Fastest -DestinationPath C:\output\multi.zip
Update an existing archive file:
C:\PS> Compress-Archive -Path C:\demo\* -Update -DestinationPath C:\output\Draft.Zip
“The ability to reduce everything to simple fundamental laws does not imply the ability to start from those laws and reconstruct the universe” ~ Philip Warren Anderson
Related PowerShell Cmdlets:
Expand-Archive - Extract files from an archive (zipped) file.
New-Zipfile - for PowerShell 3/4.