# Inconsistent presentation of ZIP files in Windows Explorer

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inconsistent-presentation-of-zip-files-in-windows-explorer/494275>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 24, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inconsistent-presentation-of-zip-files-in-windows-explorer/494275 "2009-04-24T22:41:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inconsistent-presentation-of-zip-files-in-windows-explorer/494275/1 "2009-04-24T22:41:26Z")

</div>

(Windows XP Pro)

When I create ZIP files using Windows native capabilities (usually in Windows Explorer by right-clicking and “Send To, Compressed (zipped) folder”, sometimes the ZIP files are treated in Windows Explorer as folders, and sometimes as files. That is, in the left pane when I click + to expand a folder, I will see ZIP files undereath it as though they were folders (with a zipper icon). But in other cases, they show up only in the right pane with the other files.

Any ideas how to make it always treat every zip file as a folder?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inconsistent-presentation-of-zip-files-in-windows-explorer/494275/2 "2009-04-24T23:06:59Z")

</div>

Windows preserves the file structure. So lets say I zip up a file: stuff.exe. I will not see a folder for it. If I zip up a folder named “stuff” with a file called stuff.exe in it and zip that folder I will then see a folder when I unzip it. This is typical of all zip implementations.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inconsistent-presentation-of-zip-files-in-windows-explorer/494275/3 "2009-04-25T01:18:15Z")

</div>

> [@HorseloverFat](#):
>
> Windows preserves the file structure. So lets say I zip up a file: stuff.exe. I will not see a folder for it. If I zip up a folder named “stuff” with a file called stuff.exe in it and zip that folder I will then see a folder when I unzip it. This is typical of all zip implementations.

But this is not after I unzip it, this is how it looks zipped. See screenshots. All zip files were created by selecting multiple files and then right-clicking to “Send to” as described in OP.

[Treated as folders](http://www.seiglefamily.com/data/folders.jpg)

[Treated as files](http://www.seiglefamily.com/data/notfolders.jpg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inconsistent-presentation-of-zip-files-in-windows-explorer/494275/4 "2009-04-25T18:13:38Z")

</div>

A hunch: Maybe this is a bug (or “feature”) related to the existence or nonexistence of actual directories in the working directory? Try creating a directory in [College.gov](http://College.gov) and see if your zip archives magically appear in the left pane.