I recently encountered a frustrating issue on my Windows 11 laptop: the “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” option was missing from the “Send to” menu. This problem was particularly annoying because I rely on this feature to quickly zip files and folders for sharing. I couldn’t understand why it had disappeared, especially since I had used it without any problems before.
After a bit of investigation, I realized that this issue could stem from several potential sources. It might be related to a system update, a configuration change, or perhaps a corruption in the system files. Whatever the cause, I needed a solution, and I was determined to find one.
The first step I took was to verify whether the “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” option had been disabled or removed from the “Send to” menu due to a recent Windows update or change in settings. I navigated to the “Send to” menu by right-clicking on a file or folder and selecting “Send to” from the context menu. The list of options that appeared was missing the “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” entry. It was clear that something had gone wrong.
To start troubleshooting, I decided to check the contents of the “SendTo” folder in the file system. I opened File Explorer and entered the following path in the address bar: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo. This command took me to the directory where the shortcuts for the “Send to” menu are stored. Sure enough, the “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” shortcut was missing from this location.
My next step was to restore the missing shortcut manually. I searched online and found that the “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” is essentially a system feature, and its shortcut can be recreated if it gets deleted. I went to the “Windows\System32” directory on my computer and looked for a file called zipfldr.dll. This DLL file is responsible for the compressed folder functionality. I confirmed that the file was present in the System32 folder, which meant that the functionality itself was still available, but the shortcut was missing.
To restore the shortcut, I needed to recreate it in the “SendTo” folder. I went back to the “SendTo” folder and created a new shortcut. To do this, I right-clicked inside the folder, selected “New” and then “Shortcut.” In the location field of the shortcut wizard, I entered the path to zipfldr.dll, which is C:\Windows\System32\zipfldr.dll. After clicking “Next,” I named the shortcut “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” and then finished the process.
I returned to the desktop and right-clicked on a file to test the “Send to” menu. To my relief, the “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” option had reappeared. This quick fix worked perfectly, and I was able to zip files as usual.
While this manual restoration solved the problem, I decided to take additional steps to prevent this issue from occurring again. I ran a system file check to ensure that all system files were intact. I opened Command Prompt with administrative privileges and executed the command sfc /scannow. This command scanned the system for any corrupt or missing files and replaced them if necessary. After the scan completed, I rebooted the computer to apply any fixes.
Additionally, I checked for any pending Windows updates and installed them. It’s always a good practice to keep the system updated, as updates can fix bugs and improve system stability. I accessed the Windows Update settings by going to “Settings,” then “Update & Security,” and selecting “Check for updates.”
After applying all updates and performing the system file check, I was confident that my system was in good shape. The “Compressed (Zipped) Folder” option remained in the “Send to” menu, and I had ensured that no other issues were present.
This experience taught me that sometimes, system features can disappear due to minor issues or accidental changes. However, with a bit of investigation and some manual adjustments, it’s usually possible to restore them. I felt a sense of accomplishment in resolving the problem myself and learned a valuable lesson about managing system settings and maintaining system health.