.7z files
.7z file
7-Zip Archive
The open, high-compression archive format from 7-Zip, with proper AES-256 encryption.
What opens a .7z file
- Windows
- 7-Zip, File Explorer (built in, Windows 11, unencrypted only), WinRAR
- macOS
- Keka, The Unarchiver, BetterZip
- Linux
- Archive Manager / File Roller (built in), Ark, p7zip
What a .7z file is
7z uses LZMA compression and routinely produces smaller files than ZIP or RAR, with AES-256 encryption that can also hide the file names. The format and the 7-Zip tool are free and open source. Windows 11 File Explorer extracts unencrypted 7z archives natively; password-protected ones still need 7-Zip, Keka or a similar tool because Explorer has nowhere to type the password.
Converting it
A .7z file is commonly converted to .zip, .rar, .tar or .gz. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.
Details
- Extension
- .7z
- Full name
- 7-Zip Archive
- Category
- Archives
- MIME type
- application/x-7z-compressed
- Created by
- Igor Pavlov
- Format
- Binary
Common questions
- How do I open a .7z file?
- On Windows use 7-Zip; on macOS use Keka; on Linux use Archive Manager / File Roller (built in). The open, high-compression archive format from 7-Zip, with proper AES-256 encryption.
- What is a .7z file?
- 7-Zip Archive. 7z uses LZMA compression and routinely produces smaller files than ZIP or RAR, with AES-256 encryption that can also hide the file names. The format and the 7-Zip tool are free and open source.
- Can I convert a .7z file?
- Yes. It is usually converted to .zip, .rar, .tar or .gz, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.
Related pages
- .zip — ZIP Archive The universal compressed folder — every operating system opens one with no extra
- .rar — RAR Archive A proprietary archive format with better compression than ZIP and strong recover
- .gz — Gzip Compressed File A single compressed file — it holds no folder structure of its own.
- .tar — Tape Archive A Unix bundle of files with no compression at all — usually paired with gzip.
- .tgz — Gzipped Tar Archive Shorthand for .tar.gz — a tar bundle compressed with gzip.
- .xz — XZ Compressed File LZMA2 compression — the tightest of the common Unix single-file compressors.
- .bz2 — Bzip2 Compressed File A compressed single file, slower than gzip but usually smaller.
- .sfx — Self-Extracting Archive Module The stub program archivers glue onto an archive to make it extract itself.
Sources
- Media Types Registry — IANA
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place