Free online CAB to ZIP converter

A CAB file needs conversion when a program, upload form, or device accepts ZIP but rejects Microsoft Cabinet files. The process extracts the CAB contents and creates a new ZIP archive; it does not convert the files inside or preserve CAB-specific installer behavior.

What the CAB format is

CAB, or Microsoft Cabinet, is an archive format used mainly for Windows software installation, system updates, drivers, and component packages. Windows deployment tools, update systems, driver packages, and software installers commonly use CAB files.

A CAB stores compressed files and cabinet metadata, and may use MSZIP, LZX, or Quantum compression. It can also be one member of a multi-cabinet set, in which case converting only one file may produce an incomplete archive. expand.exe can extract many CAB files on Windows, while 7-Zip and other archive utilities support a wider range of CAB structures.

A CAB is often part of an installer rather than a general-purpose sharing archive. Changing the container to ZIP does not make a Windows update or installer usable by software that specifically expects a CAB.

What the ZIP format is

ZIP is a widely supported archive format for sharing, uploading, backing up, and grouping files. Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile operating systems, file managers, and most web services can usually open ZIP files without specialized software.

ZIP supports multiple files and directory paths in one archive and offers several compression methods. ZIP is generally more suitable for interchange than CAB, but the result may be the same size or larger when the CAB contains already-compressed files such as MP4 video, JPEG images, PDF documents, or many software installers. ZIP encryption is optional, and AES-encrypted ZIP files are not compatible with every built-in archive utility.

Using 7-Zip on Windows

1. Install 7-Zip from its official desktop distribution and open the folder containing the CAB file.
2. Right-click the CAB file and choose 7-Zip → Extract to “filename\\”.
3. Inspect the extracted folder, then select its files and subfolders. Right-click the selection and choose 7-Zip → Add to archive.
4. Set Archive format to zip, choose a compression level, and select OK. 7-Zip creates the ZIP beside the extracted folder.

For a command-line conversion, run:

7z x "package.cab" -o"extracted"
7z a -tzip "package.zip" ".\\extracted\\*"

The first command extracts the CAB into extracted; the second adds the extracted contents to package.zip. Quote paths containing spaces. For a multi-cabinet set, extract the complete set with all required cabinet files available before creating the ZIP.

Using Windows commands

For CAB files supported by Windows Cabinet extraction, run these commands in Command Prompt or PowerShell:

mkdir extracted
expand "package.cab" -F:* extracted
Compress-Archive -Path "extracted\\*" -DestinationPath "package.zip"

expand extracts the CAB, and PowerShell’s Compress-Archive creates the ZIP. 7-Zip is preferable when the built-in extractor cannot read the compression variant or cabinet structure. Compress-Archive can omit hidden files, so check the output when those files matter; 7-Zip is safer for a complete archive.

Using the built-in online converter

You can convert a CAB file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Upload the CAB, choose ZIP if the format selector is shown, start the conversion, and download the result. Avoid uploading confidential installers, private documents, credentials, or proprietary software.

Compatibility and quality checks

Do not simply rename .cab to .zip; the archive structures are different. After extraction, verify the expected files, file count, directory paths, and filenames before creating the ZIP. Repacking removes or changes CAB-specific metadata, cabinet relationships, compression settings, integrity records, and any signature associated with the original cabinet.

The extracted file contents are normally byte-for-byte unchanged, but the ZIP may not preserve installer behavior or the original archive’s validation information. Preserve the original directory structure because setup programs and scripts may rely on relative paths. Open the resulting ZIP to test its integrity, and retain the original CAB when it is needed for a Windows update, driver installation, or software package that requires the CAB format.