.7z file extension ? A definition
The .7z file extension is added to the compressed archive that is created when using the Igor Pavlov?s 7zip file compression tool ? 7zip.
To know the purpose of a .7z file, you need to first understand two words that are conjoined with the .7z file extension ? archive and compressed.
Archive, in terms of file types refers to a file that stores one or more files or folders that are joined together as a single file to facilitate easy storage or download. When explaining a file type, the word compressed means that the archive file uses a technique to reduce the size of each single file it holds. As a result, the size of the archive is considerably less than the sum of individual files it stores.
By the above explanation, it is safe to say that a .7z file extension file is an archive that contains other files or folders in compressed form for easy transport and storage.
One of the major advantages of the 7zip software is that it is free and has a higher compression ratio than other similar software.
What are the main features of the 7zip file format?
Some of the important features of the 7zip file format are:
- 7zip format uses open architecture and therefore, can also support any new compression method.
- 7zip format has a high compression ratio.
- 7zip format has the ability to support large file sizes, up to 16,000,000,000 GB.
- 7zip format supports Unicode file names.
- 7zip format supports archive header compression.
Which method does 7zip use for compression of files?
By default, 7zip files use LZMA method, which is an improved version of the L277 algorithm. Other methods integrated into the 7zip files include ? PPMD, BCJ, Bzip2, BCJ2 and Deflate.
List of programs that open .7zip extension files
If you use a Windows computer, you can open a .7zip extension file with the following programs:
- WinRAR
- StuffIt Deluxe 2009
- 7-Zip
- Corel WinZip
- ZipZag
- ZipGenius
- ConeXware PowerArchiver
- PeaZip
If you use a Mac computer, you can open a .7zip extension file with the following programs:
- Sixty Five Ltd 7zX
- StuffIt Deluxe 2010
- EZ 7z
- p7zip
- Zipeg
- Dare to be Creative iArchiver
If you use Linux, you can open a .7zip file extension file with the following programs:
- Peazip
- p7zip
- Karchiver
- Ark
- File Roller
How to open a .7zip file
To open a .7zip file, right-click on it, click Open With and then from the list select a program that is known to open .7zip files. If you do not have software that opens .7zip files, you may choose to download a 7zip utility, which is a free software.
I?m getting a file type error when I try to open a .7zip file ? What should I do?
File type errors can occur due to various reasons. The most common cause is a corrupt file.
To repair file type errors, you may use a file repair tool. A reliable file repair tool allows you to open, edit, or save all known file types. They also help you repair file type errors that you may receive while opening certain files.