installation

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title: Installation permalink: /installation nav_order: 2

Installation

1. Choose your platform

SimpleZipDrive is a single cross-platform application. Download the package for your OS and architecture:

Package	Platform	Driver
release_X.Y.Z_win-x64.zip / ..._win-arm64.zip	Windows (x64 / ARM64)	WinFsp and/or Dokan
release_X.Y.Z_linux-x64.zip / ..._linux-arm64.zip	Linux (x64 / ARM64)	libfuse3
release_X.Y.Z_osx-x64.zip / ..._osx-arm64.zip	macOS (Intel / Apple silicon)	macFUSE

• Windows x64 — standard 64-bit Intel/AMD systems (the vast majority of PCs).
• Windows ARM64 — Windows-on-ARM devices (Snapdragon X, Surface Pro X, etc.).
• Linux — install libfuse3 from your distribution (libfuse3-3 on Debian/Ubuntu, fuse3 on Fedora).
• macOS — install macFUSE.

On Windows you can use either Dokan or WinFsp - install the driver you want and select it in Settings → Mount backend (Dokan is the default; Auto prefers WinFsp when installed, otherwise Dokan). If the selected driver is missing, the app warns on startup and offers to open its download page. See Mount Backends for a full comparison.

2. Install prerequisites

All packages are framework-dependent — the .NET runtime is not bundled:

1. .NET 10 runtime — install the runtime matching your OS architecture.
2. The filesystem driver for your platform:
   • Windows — Dokan: install the latest Dokan v2 DokanSetup.exe (2.3.0 or newer is required — older dokan2.dll versions are refused with a "Dokan Driver Outdated" dialog).
   • Windows — WinFsp: install WinFsp 2.1 or newer (2.2.x beta releases are also supported). Mounting is blocked if an older version is detected. The WinFsp.Launcher service must be running — it is installed and started automatically by the WinFsp installer.
   • Linux: install libfuse3 (e.g. sudo apt install libfuse3-3).
   • macOS: install macFUSE.

Administrator rights are not required to run SimpleZipDrive (see Security & Privacy).

3. Install the application

1. Download the .zip for your platform and architecture from the Releases page.
2. Extract all files into a dedicated folder. The package contains:
   • the executable (SimpleZipDrive.exe on Windows, SimpleZipDrive on Linux/macOS),
   • the bundled 7-Zip fallback extractor — 7za.exe on Windows, 7zzs on Linux, 7zz on macOS (required for the fallback; mark it executable if your archive tool dropped the permission),
   • 7zip-license.txt — the license for the bundled 7-Zip binaries,
   • winfsp-msil.dll (Windows only) — the WinFsp .NET interop (required when using the WinFsp backend),
   • Avalonia native libraries (libSkiaSharp, libHarfBuzzSharp, and on Windows av_libglesv2),
   • ReadMe.md, LICENSE.txt, WhatsNew.md.
3. Run the executable. No installer, no registry changes.

Do not separate the support files from the executable. The 7-Zip fallback binary, the WinFsp interop, and the Avalonia native libraries are probed next to the executable; if they are missing, the app will not start or archives that need the fallback will fail to open.

4. Verify

1. Start the executable — the main window opens with a log pane.
2. Check Help → About for the version.
3. Mount any archive (see Getting Started):
   • If a "Dokan Driver Not Found" or "WinFsp Not Found" dialog appears, the selected driver is missing — install it from the link in the dialog or switch the backend in Settings.
   • The WinFsp backend additionally verifies the driver version and the WinFsp.Launcher service before mounting and tells you exactly what to fix.
   • On Linux/macOS a missing libfuse3/macFUSE produces a "FUSE Not Available" dialog with install guidance.

5. Upgrade

1. Unmount any mounted drive and close the running instance.
2. Extract the new release over the existing folder (or delete the folder and extract fresh — your settings live in %LOCALAPPDATA%\SimpleZipDrive, not in the program folder).
3. Driver upgrades are independent: upgrade Dokan/WinFsp via their own installers whenever you like.

6. Uninstall

1. Delete the program folder.
2. Optionally remove residual data: %LOCALAPPDATA%\SimpleZipDrive (settings, logs, leftover mount folders — see Configuration).
3. Optionally uninstall the Dokan or WinFsp driver via Settings → Apps if no other software uses it.