The first time you come across a file with the extension ".7z" it is very likely that you do not know which program is best to use to access it. Files of this type, known as "7z" or "7-Zip", are actually compressed archives made up of multiple folders or files. In order to decompress the contents of an archive of this type, it is necessary to install a special program capable of extracting the data it contains. These are usually free and available for any operating system, including iOS and Android. This article shows how to open a "7z" file using the iZip program on mobile devices, 7-Zip or WinZip on Windows systems and The Unarchiver on Mac.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Using iZip for Mobile Devices
Step 1. Search for the iZip app in the App Store or Play Store
A "7z" file is a compressed archive that can consist of one or more files. In order to access the archive it is necessary to use an application capable of managing the "7z" compression format. iZip is one of the most appreciated apps by the user community for managing this type of file in a totally free way.
Step 2. Press the "Get" or "Install" button
The application will be automatically downloaded and installed on your device.
Step 3. To start the program tap the "iZip" icon
Step 4. Choose the "Local Files" item to be able to select the "7z" file to decompress
If the "7z" file to be processed is stored on a clouding platform, you will need to choose the "iCloud Drive" or "Google Drive" options.
Step 5. Press and hold your finger on the archive name "7z"
Do this until the message "Would you like to unzip all files?" Appears on the screen.
Step 6. Press the "OK" button
The contents of the selected "7z" archive will be decompressed into a folder named in the same way.
When the progress bar is no longer visible on the screen, it means that the decompression process is completed and you will be able to access the extracted files directly using the iZip app interface or by accessing the folder inside the device and created by the process of data extraction
Method 2 of 4: Using 7-Zip for Windows
Step 1. Go to the official website of the 7-Zip program
Since the files with the "7z" extension are compressed archives, it is not possible to view their contents until the latter is extracted using a special software. 7-Zip is a program capable of decompressing "7z" files and it is completely free for Windows system users.
Another very popular program capable of unzipping a compressed archive is WinZip, which is also distributed in a free demo version. If you don't have the ability to use 7-Zip, try using WinZip
Step 2. Select the "Download" link for the 7-Zip installation file compatible with your version of Windows (32-bit or 64-bit)
If you are unsure which version of Windows you are using (32-bit or 64-bit), press the key combination ⊞ Win + S to open the search bar, then type in the keyword "system" (without quotes). Select the "System" icon that appeared in the search results list, then focus on the data shown in the "System type" field of the window that appeared
Step 3. Choose where to save the installation file (for example Desktop), then press the "Save" button
Step 4. Double-click the "7-Zip.exe" file, then choose the "Run" option
At this point, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the 7-Zip installation.
When the installation procedure is complete press the "Finish" button
Step 5. Select the "7z" file you want to open with a double mouse click
The contents of the compressed archive will be displayed inside the 7-Zip program window.
Step 6. Press the key combination Ctrl + A to select all the files in the archive, then press the "Extract" button
Step 7. Press the "…" button to be able to choose the folder in which to save the extracted files
Inside the latter, all the contents of the selected "7z" file will be copied.
- By default, a new folder will be created within the current folder which will have the same name as the original "7z" file.
- For example, if the compressed archive is called "Blu.7z" and is stored on the desktop, by default when it is unzipped it will create a new folder (always on the desktop) called "Blu".
Step 8. Press the "OK" button to unzip the selected file
A progress bar will appear showing the overall duration of the extraction process. When the latter is complete the bar will disappear. At this point you can access the newly created folder with a simple double click of the mouse and proceed to consult the files.
Method 3 of 4: Using WinZip for Windows
Step 1. Double click on the "7z" file
"7z" files are compressed archives consisting of one or more files. In order to access their content it is necessary to use special software. Most probably some users of Windows systems will already have an installation of WinZip, which is a program that can also manage archives compressed in the "7z" format.
- If after double clicking on it, the "7z" file does not open automatically, follow the instructions in this section to download a trial version of WinZip.
- If you wish, you can also try using 7-Zip, a great free WinZip alternative.
Step 2. Log in to the following website
WinZip costs around € 36, but also comes with a 30-day free trial period.
Step 3. Press the "Download Now" button, then save the installation file inside the "Download" folder on your computer
Step 4. Double-click the installation file and choose the "Run" option
WinZip will be automatically installed on your computer.
Step 5. Double click on the "7z" file you want
The contents of the archive will be displayed in the WinZip window that appears.
Step 6. Press the key combination Ctrl + A to select all files in the archive
Step 7. Press the "1-Click Unzip" button
Step 8. Choose the option "Unzip to my PC or cloud
.. ", then choose the destination folder. The default is to create a new folder that will have the same name as the original" 7z "file.
Step 9. Press the "Extract" button to unzip the contents of the file into the selected folder
At this point you will be able to access the files that were contained in the compressed archive in "7z" format.
Method 4 of 4: Using Unarchiver for Mac OS X
Step 1. Access the App Store from your Mac
In order to use the files contained in the compressed archive in "7z" format it is first necessary to decompress it using a special software. The Unarchiver program is one of the most popular options among Mac system users and can be downloaded and installed directly from the App Store.
Step 2. Type the keyword "Unarchiver" into the search bar at the top of the App Store window, then select the program icon when it appears in the results list
Step 3. Press the "Get" and "Install App" buttons in succession
Step 4. Follow the instructions that will appear on the screen to proceed with the installation of "The Unarchiver" on your computer
Step 5. Run "The Unarchiver" program after installation is complete
A list of the types of files to be associated with the program will be displayed on the screen.
Step 6. Select the check button next to "7-Zip archive" that you find in the "File Formats" column
In this way the operating system will know that the "7z" files must be managed through the "The Unarchiver" program.
Step 7. Go to the "Extraction" tab
Step 8. Select the "Ask for a destination folder" option from the drop-down menu
In this way you will have the possibility to choose the destination folder where the data will be stored at the end of the extraction.
Step 9. Select the "7z" file you want to open with a double mouse click
At this point you will be asked to choose the destination folder where the files extracted from the archive will be copied.
Step 10. Choose the folder to save the contents of the "7z" file, then press the "Extract" button
The "The Unarchiver" program will proceed to decompress the indicated archive and the resulting files will be transferred to the selected folder. When the progress bar is no longer visible on the screen, it means that the extracted files are ready to be used.
Advice
- The size of the compressed 7z archive should be smaller than the folder that is created by the data decompression process. This is completely normal and is why users compress files using this format to create a single archive that is smaller in size and therefore easier to transfer.
- Most programs that are capable of decompressing into 7z files are also capable of creating this type of compressed archives.
