Compress
Files and folders are encoded into an archive to reduce size, combine many items into one file, or make transfer easier.
Guides / Concepts
Editable archive concept
What is an editable compressed archive? A persistent archive that can also be a workspace.
An editable compressed archive keeps one compressed file as the persistent object while exposing its contents through a folder-like working view. The key idea is not merely opening an archive: supported changes made through the workspace are saved back so reopening the same archive shows the updated state.
01
Traditional model
Most archives are treated as packages.
Extract
To work normally with the contents, users commonly expand some or all of the archive into a separate directory.
Rebuild
After editing, the changed files may need to be recompressed or added back to the archive before the updated package is complete.
02
Editable model
The archive remains the persistent object.
One user-managed file
With Arqivexa, the persistent object is the .cfs archive. The projected folder is a working view rather than a second archive the user has to maintain.
Folder-like interaction
Windows File Explorer provides normal directory navigation while Arqivexa maps those operations to compressed archive data and metadata.
Changes survive reopening
Supported edits are committed into the archive, so closing and reopening the same .cfs file preserves the updated contents.
03
Design principles
Three properties make an archive genuinely editable.
Persistent state
The compressed archive remains the source of truth after the workspace closes. An editable view is not useful if changes disappear or require a manually maintained second copy.
Lazy data access
Directory metadata can be presented before every payload is expanded. Requested file data is supplied as needed, which separates browsing from full extraction.
Controlled commits
Writes need a defined save path with validation and recovery behavior so changing the workspace does not turn archive updates into an unchecked overwrite.
See the Explorer workspace → · See the .cfs storage format →
04
Arqivexa implementation
ProjFS projection plus .cfs archive storage.
Projected directory
Arqivexa uses Windows Projected File System to expose placeholders and provide file contents on demand.
Compressed backing data
The current format stores file payloads using independent per-file LZMA2 compression and chunk-level integrity information.
Transactional persistence
The save path validates candidate archive state before replacement and retains recovery-oriented state rather than silently overwriting without checks.
Current boundary
Arqivexa is one implementation of the idea, not a universal archive layer.
Arqivexa 0.5.0 Stable targets Windows 11 x64 and supported .cfs archives on local NTFS storage for writes. It does not currently provide archive encryption or claim universal application compatibility.