A .7z file is a compressed archive file. It is the same type of file as a “ZIP” file. This file contains content that has been reduced in size using a compression tool by changing the file type to .7z. In addition, this type of file also supports encryption, encrypting files.
The .7z file type is used by several apps that can compress files. The most commonly used program to create and open .7z files is the open source program called “7-zip” developed by Igor Pavlov.
Compression ratio results are highly dependent on the data used for testing. Typically, 7-Zip compresses 30-70% better to 7z format than to zip format. And 7-Zip compresses the zip format 2-10% better than most other zip supported programs.
How do I open a 7z file
If you have downloaded a .7z file, you must first extract the contents of this file. So there is content in a .7z file and you can't run it directly. In Windows you cannot open a .7z file directly, there is no standard app available that can extract these files.
To open a 7z file you need to download a tool that can unzip the file for you. I recommend downloading and installing 7-zip on your computer. You can then unzip the .7z file and use the contents via the 7-zip app.
7-Zip is free software with open source. Most of the code is licensed under the GNU LGPL. You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial organization. You do not need to register or pay for 7-Zip.
After installation, right-click on the .7z file. In the menu click on “Open with”. In the list, click on “choose another app”.
At the very bottom, click on “Find another app”. Then select the installation folder of 7-zip and choose the app “7zFM.exe”.
You can now extract the contents of the .7z file. Click on “Extract” in the menu. Then select one folder location to copy the contents to and click OK to confirm.
You will now find the contents of the compressed .7z file in the location you selected. I hope this helped you. Thank you for reading!