7-Zip is a complimentary file extractor program compatible with Windows 11 and earlier, as well as Linux and macOS through the command line. It develops archives with the 7Z file extension and provides a series of functions, including integration with Windows Shell, file encryption abilities, and the ability to repair damaged archives and password protect them.
While Windows does have an integrated compression tool, it’s limited to reading and producing ZIP files. 7-Zip is a helpful alternative for those who need additional compression and extraction abilities.
It’s accredited under the GNU Lesser General Public License and can be easily shared and dispersed. Ukrainian freelance developer Igor Pavlov owns the 7-Zip Copyright (C) and launched the beta variation in January 1999.
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What We Like
Can be used in a commercial environment.
Supports both a graphical user interface and a command-line interface.
One-click installer; setup does not try to install additional software.
Long list of language assistance.
Favorite folders for simple gain access to.
What We Don’t Like
No portable option readily available from the designer.
7-Zip Features
Here are some other functions worth pointing out:
Integrates with the File Explorer context menuAssociate the program with any file extension of your choosing to make opening files easierSupports file encryption when developing new archivesCan construct self-extracting executable archivesCan compute checksums from the context menuFor ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip offers a compression ratio that is 2-10 percent better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZipStrong AES-256 file encryption in 7z and ZIP formatsSelf-extracting capability for 7z formatSupports dozens of languages
Compatible Formats
These are the file extensions 7-Zip supports:
Packing & Unpacking
7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP, WIM
Unpacking Only
APFS, AR, ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QCOW2, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VHDX, VMDK, XAR, Z
Security Options
Can password-protect 7Z and ZIP archive formats with 256-bit AES encryption.
7-Zip Review
7-Zip is an easy to use decompression software program that permits users to easily draw out and produce archives, although it does not support as lots of file formats as PeaZip. It incorporates seamlessly with the Windows Shell, making it straightforward to draw out archives by right-clicking them.
The program also consists of an integrated file web browser that can locate and draw out archives, and permits users to check the integrity of an archive. Since the file internet browser is basically the same as File Explorer, you can also select to utilize the Windows Shell combination to produce and extract archive files instead of needing to open the full program. Utilizing Explorer can accelerate the decompression process.
While the main 7-Zip website doesn’t include a portable setup, you can get one at PortableApps.com.
