A CAB file (short for Cabinet) is a compression archive format developed by Microsoft. It is a core part of the Windows ecosystem, designed to package software installers, device drivers, and system updates. If you have ever looked inside a Windows installation directory or installation discs from the 90s and 2000s, you have seen CAB files. They are optimized for integrity and compression efficiency, containing embedded digital signatures to ensure the software has not been modified.
Typical naming templates and folder layouts:
Introduced in the mid-1990s, CAB was Microsoft's primary format for distributing Windows operating system setups (like Windows 95) on floppy disks. It allowed Microsoft to span a single archive across multiple floppy disks. Although ZIP has taken over for general usage, Windows still uses CAB files for distributing patches and cabinet updates through Windows Update.
Because CAB files are executable installers or system updates, malicious CAB archives can install trojans or alter system settings. Always unpack CAB files in a safe browser sandbox first to inspect files before executing.
A CAB archive contains headers followed by compressed folders and a file list. It supports multiple compression methods, including MSZIP (a variant of DEFLATE) and LZX (a dictionary-based compression format). CAB supports multi-volume archives, meaning it can span files across multiple split disks. It also keeps track of file attributes like read-only, hidden, and system files.
Primarily a Microsoft format: Creating CAB files on macOS or Linux requires special tools., No native archive-creation tools on non-Windows platforms., Complex file structure compared to simple ZIP archives.
It is a Microsoft Cabinet archive file used to compress and store software installer files and drivers on Windows.
macOS doesn't support CAB natively, but you can upload it to our local browser tool to inspect and extract the files easily.
Yes. Decompression runs entirely in your local browser sandbox. No file data is sent to external servers.
Microsoft uses CAB files for Windows Updates and system installs because they support digital signatures and LZX compression.
LZX is a dictionary-based compression algorithm used in CAB files that achieves better compression than standard ZIP.
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