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This free software allows you to compress files or unzip files that are already compressed

This free software allows you to compress files or unzip files that are already compressed

Vote: (286 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Igor Pavlov

Version: 23.01

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(286 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Igor Pavlov

23.01

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Works with dozens of file extensions
  • Saves disk space
  • Works reasonably fast
  • Decompresses files on the fly
  • Features password system

Cons

  • No support for Stuffit archives
  • May have too many features for some users
  • Changes ZIP icons when first installed

7-Zip is a file compression and archiving utility that supports a wide variety of formats. While the name would suggest that it works with seven different types of archives, due to similarities between standards it might actually be able to do much more.

The 7z format is named for the utility, which supports it flawlessly. You might have noticed that an increasingly large percentage of archives available on download sites end with the .7z extension. If you haven't been able to open these, then installing the 7-Zip archiving utility is all you have to do to get access to all the information stored within.

You've probably seen quite a few archives stored in the RAR format, which 7-Zip should also be able to reassemble for you. That means you won't need to install a separate RAR expansion utility.

Those who download archives from the web on a fairly regular basis may come across CBZ archives, which are comic books stored in the traditional DEFLATE format. By using 7-Zip, you can break these apart into their component files or assemble huge batches of images into your own books for use with an eReader that supports this format.

Naturally, that means you can also work with traditional ZIP files as well. While Windows does include support for these archives, it's convenient to have a dedicated tool that handles every type of archive you might run into. Many people use the ZIP format to send files online, so you'll be pleased to know that 7-Zip can normally compress ZIP archives more tightly than most other utilities.

If you value performance over compression, then you can adjust the solid block size and the total token dictionary measurement for each archive you create. This is a very powerful feature that's made even more powerful by 7-Zip's support for command line arguments.

Since all of the app's defaults work perfectly fine, you shouldn't ever have to adjust these options. In fact, an overwhelming majority of people will probably never have a reason to even look at 7-Zip's properties sheet. However, power users are going to be very pleased with the advanced functions it comes with.

The package also comes with a number of other tools that may not have as much utility. An integrated file manager, for instance, probably won't be of much use since the app features a simple context menu integration option that's installed by default. If you're used to right clicking on a file and selecting the add to compressed folder option, then using 7-Zip won't be any more complicated for you than this.

That being said, file system technicians and some other types of specialists might use these advanced features to explore the interior workings of any NTFS volume. When you format a partition with the NTFS format, Windows adds a few hidden files in the root directory of said partition. The 7-Zip utility will actually let you see these.

Granted, this also means that users who don't have experience with advanced file system manipulation could actually screw up a drive using these features. Chances are that most people won't bother exploring them or running 7-Zip as an administrator anyway, so there shouldn't be any issues. Those who just want to extract files and explore compressed folders can work with the program with nearly no chance of causing any damage at all.

Best of all, it's quite portable and should help you read archives created by people who use other operating systems. Say you have a friend who owns an Apple Macintosh computer and tries to send you compressed folders that end with the .tar.gz extension. Just right click on them and allow 7-Zip to do the rest.

The same goes for .txz and .tb2 archives created by GNU/Linux users. In fact, Windows users could even create their own archives in any of these formats and send them over to friends they have that use these systems.

That makes it attractive for developers who have to upload source code in a specific format. It should also prove very useful to those who download music, movies and games on a regular basis since the app will be able to extract all of these things.

Some people distribute comic books and complete manga stories in something called CBR format, which is essentially an image archive compressed with the RAR format. Once again, 7-Zip shouldn't have any problem working with these.

When you first install the app, you may want to change a few of the file associations and icons that the software makes. Fortunately, 7-Zip gives you the option to do that. As soon as you have everything working, you'll want to start exploring the .7z format itself.

If you're used to zipping files up before you put them on your USB hard drive, then you're in for a treat because the .7z can save a great deal of disk space over the more traditional ZIP one. You might notice that some archives come out to less than half the amount of space that they currently are.

A built-in password system helps to prevent unauthorized access. While it could theoretically get cracked into, it should be more than strong enough to stop even a relatively sophisticated institutional brute force attack.

Text files, video game ROMs, software executables and bitmap images are among those types of objects that 7-Zip can compress the best. If you're building archives out of just these and a few other types of files, then you should find that the archives the app produces is a literal fraction of the original size.

Those who might be low on disk space or have a large number of images stored in their photos folder could also use 7-Zip to push all of these files into a single archive. Cutting down on the amount of file slack in this way should save quite a bit of space in its own right.

Pros

  • Works with dozens of file extensions
  • Saves disk space
  • Works reasonably fast
  • Decompresses files on the fly
  • Features password system

Cons

  • No support for Stuffit archives
  • May have too many features for some users
  • Changes ZIP icons when first installed

Pros

  • Multiple Update Modes
  • Common Archive Format Compatible
  • Five Compression Formats
  • Custom Archive Splitting

Cons

  • File Encryption Level Unchangeable
  • Lacks Virus Scanner
  • Lacks Repair Functions

7-Zip is a piece of software that allows you to compress files and extract information from zipped files. This tool is entirely free, and it offers nearly the same functionality as WinRAR.

If you've ever used any compression or 'zipping' software, you'll probably be fairly familiar with the UI for 7-Zip. It features a command line that helps you find files to either compress or unzip, and the main window of the app is a file manager where all the action occurs.

You can use the control panel to perform basic functions like Test, Add, and Extract, and you'll also find functions for moving, copying, and deleting files. Just like other similar programs, such as WinRAR and WinZip, 7-Zip is fast, efficient, and intuitive. It works with the most common formats for archiving, including ISO, RAR, ZIP, and TAR.

7-Zip stands out from the crowd when it comes to the actual process of archiving files. WinRAR also lets you compress files into ZIP or RAR formats, and WinZip only includes compress-to-ZIP functionality. With 7-Zip, you'll have five formats to select from when archiving files.

There are a number of update modes in the software as well. You can use these modes to sync files across several archives, add files to archives, replace files within archives, and refresh the archive entirely. Archives can be protected with passwords for the ultimate security.

One of the most useful functions in 7-Zip is the Split tool. This tool helps you fit a large archive onto multiple physical mediums or smaller files for easier transfers. This means you can take a single huge archive, split it into multiple parts, then save each part onto a DVD or CD. This also makes it easier to share archives online since many services have a limit to the file size that can be transferred.

7-Zip might have a number of strengths over the main competitors in the category, but it has some disadvantages as well. For instance, you can't use 7-Zip to perform virus scans of archives before they are expanded. Also, when 7-Zip expands a file to find it corrupted or damaged, it can't repair those files. While 7-Zip offers excellent encryption, you can't customize the strength of the encryption.

If security isn't that important to you, the versatility of 7-Zip can certainly outpace the performance of WinRAR or WinZip. It offers the ability to split archives, and you can save archives in five different formats. WinZip often feels too restricted, and WinRAR isn't the most user-friendly piece of software on the market. 7-Zip, on the other hand, is easy to use, filled with features, and incredibly flexible. Those who want something new from their digital archiving software should consider 7-Zip.

Pros

  • Multiple Update Modes
  • Common Archive Format Compatible
  • Five Compression Formats
  • Custom Archive Splitting

Cons

  • File Encryption Level Unchangeable
  • Lacks Virus Scanner
  • Lacks Repair Functions