Windows cannot complete the extraction

Fix Windows cannot complete the extraction error: While trying to extract contents of a zip file you may face the following error message “Windows cannot complete the extraction. The destination file could not be created.”  and in order to fix this issue just follow this guide. Now there are other variations of this error such as “The compressed (zipped) folder is invalid” or The destination path is too long, or The compressed zipped folder is invalid etc.

It’s also possible that you may receive any of the above error messages while trying to compress a file or while extracting the contents of a zipped file. So without wasting any time let’s see how to actually Fix Windows cannot complete the extraction error with the help of below-listed troubleshooting guide.

Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.

Method 1: Move the zip file to another location

If you’re facing the error message “Windows cannot complete the extraction. The destination file could not be created” then it’s possible that the zip file you’re trying to open or extract is in the protected area. To resolve this issue, just move the zip file to Desktop, documents, etc. If this doesn’t work, then no worries, just follow the next method.

Method 2: See if you can open another zip file

Chances are Windows Explorer might get corrupted and that’s why you’re not able to access your files. In order to make sure this is the case here just try to extract any other zip file in different locations in Windows Explorer and see if you’re able to do so. If other zip files open properly then this particular zip file may be corrupted or invalid.

Method 3: Run SFC and CHKDSK

1.Press Windows Key + X then click on Command Prompt(Admin).

2.Now type the following in the cmd and hit enter:

Sfc /scannow
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows (If above fails then try this one)

3.Wait for the above process to finish and once done restart your PC.

4.Next, run CHKDSK from here Fix File System Errors with Check Disk Utility(CHKDSK).

5.Let the above process complete and again reboot your PC to save changes. See if you’re able to Fix Windows cannot complete the extraction error, if not then continue with next method.

Method 4: Perform Clean Boot

1.Press Windows Key + R then type msconfig and hit enter to System Configuration.

2.On General tab, choose Selective Startup and under it make sure the option “load startup items” is unchecked.

3.Navigate to the Services tab and checkmark the box that says “Hide all Microsoft services.“

4.Next, click Disable all which would disable all the other remaining services.

5.Restart your PC check if the problem persists or not.

6.After you had finish troubleshooting make sure to undo the above steps in order to start your PC normally.

See if you’re able to extract the contents of the zip file in Clean Boot if you’re then some 3rd party app might be conflicting with Windows. Troubleshoot the issue via this method.

Method 5: Fix The file name(s) would be too long for the destination

If you are facing the above error message then it clearly states the file name is too long, so just rename the zip file to something short such as test.zip and again try to access the zip file and see if you’re able to Fix Windows cannot complete the extraction error.

Method 6: Fix The compressed (zipped) folder is invalid

If you are facing above error message then you may try using 3rd party applications in order to access the content of zip file. Try the following zip archive software:

Winrar
7-zip

See if you’re able to compress or extract the contents of zip file using any one of the above software.

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That’s it you have successfully Fix Windows cannot complete the extraction error but if you still have any questions regarding this post then feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.

by Madalina Dinita

Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies… read more

Updated on October 4, 2023

Zip files are perhaps the most popular archive file format in the world. We all have had to deal with them when using a computer. That’s why it can get really annoying when we try to extract one just to be met with an error.

Windows cannot complete the extraction and The compressed (zipped) folder is invalid are two of the most common errors you’ll face when dealing with a zip file on Windows.

Why Windows cannot complete the extraction? There are a couple of variations of the error you can face when trying to extract folders – the destination file couldn’t be created or the file name(s) would be too long for the destination.

In this article, we’ll look at how we can deal with them.

1. Copy the zip to another location where you have full access

The destination file couldn’t be created – this usually happens because you don’t have permission to create the destination file.

This means the zip folder exists in a protected location, for example, the root folder of the C drive or the Program Files folder. You can fix this issue simply by copying the zip to another location where you have full access.

This can be the Desktop, Documents, or wherever you keep your files.

2. Make the path less than 260 characters

The filename(s) would be too long for the destination – this one happens when the zip folder contains a file that has a long name or it contains a long string of folders inside one another.

Windows Explorer only accepts paths that are less than 260 characters (including the file name); it will refuse to handle longer ones by throwing an error.

There is an easy way to fix this: restructure the folders in such a way that no path is longer than 260 characters.

4. Change the location of the zip file

Sometimes, changing the location of the zip file works too.

The problem is most likely caused when your file is located in a place with a similar pathway:
C:\Users\User\Downloads\DownloadManager\FolderZip.zip

Moving it to a location with a shorter path will save you some characters and might solve your problem.

5. Configure Windows to support longer paths

1. Open the Registry. The easiest way to do that is by pressing Windows+ R and typing regedit.
2. Use the left navigation to go to this address HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlFileSystem.
3. Double click on LongPathsEnabled.
4. Make sure the Value Data is set to one.
5. Restart your computer.

You can also increase the maximum path length allowed in Windows Explorer by configuring the Registry. There is a catch, although.

This method introduces some compatibility issues with old 32bit applications, so if you are using or planning to use those applications, the first method might be safer for you.

6. Redownload the archive file

The compressed (zipped) folder is invalid – this error can occur when trying to extract or open a zipped folder. It is the most ambiguous of the errors and the hardest to fix.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do is redownload the archive. Your download manager could’ve faced an internal error or your internet connection messed up during the downloading process.

This could’ve led to you downloading a corrupt file. Redownloading the file, if the size is small, would be really easy to do and wouldn’t require any substantial effort.

No method other than redownloading can help you with a thoroughly corrupt file.

7. Find another source to get the file

No matter the error you’re getting, if you’ve obtained the archive from the internet, you should try to find an alternative source to download the archive.

Sometimes there is no way around it, the archive was uploaded to their system significantly corrupted, and no tool can help with that.

Thankfully, it is very rare that you can find a file only on one server, and in most cases, if you look hard enough, you should be able to get the file from another source.

We went over the most common errors you’ll face when handling a zip archive on Windows including the commonplace Windows cannot complete the extraction and its variations.

We hope you’ve found this article useful and informative. Please tell us in the comment section if we’ve missed any specific error, or if there is a better and easier way to handle one of these errors.