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7-ZIP files: what are they and how do I open them?

7-zip file icon Are you facing difficulties opening unknown files on your computer, or wondering exactly what this file is?
We've got the information and best software solutions for opening these files effortlessly.

7z compressed archive

Files with 7-zip extension are compressed archives in the 7-zip compression file format used by 7-ZIP tool for Microsoft Windows operating system, developed by Igor Pavlov.

Further details:

File extension 7-zip is used for native file format of 7-ZIP archiver. 

7z is the new backup and archive file format, providing high compression ratio.

The main features of 7z file format:
- Open architecture
- High compression ratio
- Strong AES-256 encryption
- Ability of using any compression, conversion or encryption method
- Support for very large files with sizes up to 16000000000 GB
- Unicode file name support
- Solid compression ratio
- Archive headers compression

7z file format has an open architecture, so it can support any new compression methods. LZMA is the default and general compression method of 7z file format.
The main features of LZMA are:

  • Variable dictionary size (up to 4 GB)
  • Compression speed: about 1 MB/s on 2 GHz CPU
  • Decompression speed: about 10-20 MB/s on 2 GHz CPU
  • Small memory requirement for decompression (depend from dictionary size)
  • Small code size for decompression: about 5 KB
  • Supports multi-threading and P4's hyper-threading

The LZMA compression algorithm is very suitable for embedded applications. LZMA is released under the terms of the GNU LGPL.

7-Zip supports encryption with the AES-256 algorithm. This algorithm uses a cipher key with a length of 256 bits. To create that key, 7-Zip runs a derivation function based on a SHA-256 hash algorithm. A key derivation function produces a derived key from the text password entered by the user. To increase the cost of an exhaustive search to crack a password, 7-Zip uses a large number of iterations when it produces a cipher key from a password.

7z file format was developed as as part of the 7-Zip compression utility distributed under the GNU LGPL.

MIME types:
application/x-lzma

Open file with:

7-zip icon

7-zip

Popular open source file archiver with a high compression ratio

What is the meaning of a file extension?

File extensions are characters that appear after the dot in a computer file's name. For example, the file "unknown-file.7-zip" has the file extension "7-zip". This is used to identify which program should open the file or what file type it is.
File extensions help you organize and manage files. They provide a quick and easy way to identify and associate the file type with the appropriate software.

We can help you open your file

In our database, we have collected a huge number of different file extensions, detailed descriptions, and programs that can be used to open or otherwise work with the file extensions listed in our database.
This database is an invaluable resource for users who want to understand better file extensions and what they can do with them. It also allows users to know different file types with the same purpose.

Only verified software links are provided

We have verified every software listed in our database. The software listed in our database includes links to the developer's or software's website. These links should allow you to download the right program for each file type. Using verified software from reputable sources helps minimize the risk of malware and viruses infecting your computer.