Is your Hard Drive becoming a mess of files that’s about to run out of space? Or maybe worse, it already has! Perhaps you are tired of dealing with massive files that take ages to transfer or upload or you have come across a file format that your regular archiving software couldn’t handle. If so, you might want to check out 7-Zip.
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It is a popular file archiving software that allows users to compress and decompress files, as well as create encrypted archives. A free and open-source tool that is widely used by users on various platforms, this file-archiving utility has been around for years, and it’s still one of the most reliable and versatile tools out there.
The best thing is that you don’t even need to register or pay for 7-Zip, unlike some other archiving tools. In this blog post, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to install and use 7-Zip on Windows 11.
How to Download and Install 7-Zip on Windows 11
The download and installation process for 7-Zip is straightforward and doesn’t require much effort. Before we begin, please ensure that your Windows 11 computer has an active internet connection. Now, here’s how you can download and install 7-zip on your Windows 11 PC:
1. First things first, you need to download the software from the official 7-Zip website. Open your preferred web browser and navigate to the official 7-Zip website.
2. Once on the website, you will see a list of available versions of 7-Zip. Select the version that is compatible with your Windows 11 computer (32-bit, 64-bit, or ARM); make sure to select the appropriate version for your operating system. Then, click on the Download link located on the left side of the right version.
3. After the download is complete, navigate to the download folder on your computer and locate the 7-Zip setup file.
4. Double-click on the setup file to launch the installation wizard.
5. A User Account Control window will appear. Click Yes to proceed.
6. Once you initiate the 7-Zip Setup, a window will pop up, giving you the option to choose the installation directory. If you wish to modify the destination folder, simply click on the button with the ellipsis (…), and then select your preferred location. Alternatively, if you’re content with the default folder, proceed by clicking the Install button.
7. The installation of 7-Zip will be a breeze and will be completed within a matter of seconds. Once the installation process is finished, click on the Close button to wrap things up.
How to Use 7-Zip on Windows 11
Now that you have installed 7-Zip on your Windows 11 computer, you can use it to compress and decompress files.
Compress Files with 7-Zip on Windows 11
Compressing files with 7-Zip is one of the things you’ll use the software the most. Here’s a step-by-step rundown for the same.
1. To compress a file, select the file (or multiple files) you want to compress and right-click on it.
2. From the context menu, select Show more options.
3. Then, go to the 7-Zip option. Now, if you want to compress using the .zip or .7z formats, select the Add to Filename.7z or Add to Filename.zip options. These are the two most popular options and hence, they are present directly in the sub-menu for quick compression. But if you want to compress to any other format or change any other settings, select the Add to archive option from the sub-menu instead. You can also choose to compress and mail the archive.
4. The compression options window will open. You’ll then be able to rename the archive, change the destination location of the compressed folder, choose the archive format (ZIP, 7z, wim, tar, etc.), set the compression level, configure other encryption settings, and password-protect the archive if needed, among others.
5. Once you have set the compression options, click on the OK button to start the compression process.
The duration of file compression can vary from seconds to hours, depending on factors such as the quantity and size of files and folders, as well as the performance of your computer. The compressed archive will be saved in the same folder as the original file or folder or your chosen folder, depending on your choice.
Encrypt Files With 7-Zip in Windows 11
Not only can you create archives with 7-Zip, but you can also easily encrypt your files and folders to prevent unauthorized access. By applying encryption, your files are converted into an unreadable format that can only be deciphered with the correct password. 7-Zip offers AES-256 encryption method, among others, which is highly secure. Follow these steps to encrypt files:
1. Select the file(s) or folder(s) that you want to encrypt and right-click on them. Then, choose Show more options from the context menu.
2. Then, go to the 7-Zip option. In the 7-Zip submenu, select Add to archive to open the compression options window.
3. In the compression options window, choose the archive format you prefer (ZIP or 7z) from the drop-down menu. These are the only two formats that are compatible with encryption.
4. Next, under the Encryption section, enter a strong password in the Enter password field. Make sure to choose a password that is difficult to guess but easy for you to remember. You should use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, and follow other practices like not reusing a password for optimal protection.
5. Confirm the password by re-entering it in the Re-enter password field. You can also view the password by checking the Show password option.
6. The encryption method AES-256 will be selected by default from the Encryption method option if you’re using 7z format for compression. If you’re using zip format for compression, make sure to select AES-256 from the drop-down menu.
7. Next, if you also want to encrypt file names, check the Encrypt File names option. However, this option is only available if you’re using the 7z format for compression. Finally, click on the OK button to start the encryption process.
7-Zip will create an encrypted archive file containing your selected file(s) or folder(s) with the password you provided. Remember to keep your password secure and share it only with individuals you trust. Without the correct password, the encrypted files cannot be accessed or decrypted.
Extract File with 7-Zip in Windows 11
To extract files using 7-Zip, follow these steps:
1. Locate the compressed archive file (e.g., ZIP, 7z) that you want to extract.
2. Right-click on the archive file and choose Show more options from the context menu.
3. Go to the 7-Zip option and in the 7-Zip submenu, select Extract Here to extract the files to the current folder where the archive file is located at the moment. If you want to extract the files to a new folder of the same name as the archive, choose Extract to [Folder Name\] from the sub-menu. If you prefer to extract the files to a specific folder, choose Extract files… instead.
4. If you chose Extract files…, a window will appear allowing you to browse and select the destination folder where you want to extract the files. Choose the desired folder and click OK to proceed.
5. If the compressed archive is password-protected, a password prompt will appear. Enter the correct password and click OK to proceed with the extraction.
6. 7-Zip will begin extracting the files from the archive to the specified location. Once the extraction process is complete, you will find the extracted files in the designated folder.
Extract a Single/ Selective Files from an Archive
The above method extracts all the files from the archive. And the time it takes to complete the extraction process depends on the size of the files in the archive. However, if you only needed a single or a few files from the archive, the extraction process can waste a lot of time, especially for large-sized files. Fortunately, you can also extract a single or selective file(s) from the archive using 7-Zip; follow these steps.
1. Right-click on the archive file and choose Show more options from the context menu.
2. Go to the 7-Zip option and in the 7-Zip submenu, choose Open Archive to open the archive in the 7-Zip File Manager.
3. In the 7-Zip File Manager window, navigate to the file or the folder within the archive that contains the desired file. Select the file you want to extract. You can also select multiple files by pressing the Ctrl button while selecting them.
4. Click on the Extract button located in the toolbar.
5. A window will appear allowing you to select the destination folder where you want to extract the file. Click the ellipsis (…) to choose the destination folder; by default, the current folder where the archive file is located will be selected. Choose the desired folder and click OK to proceed.
How to Make 7-Zip the Default in Windows 11
By default, Windows 11 comes with its own built-in file archiving utility. However, you can make 7-Zip your default archiving software if you rely on it more than any other archiving tool. Making 7-Zip the default software can save you time in certain situations.
For starters, the sub-menu for 7-Zip will be added in the first layer of the context menu, so you won’t have to click the ‘Show More Options’ in the context menu every time, which can get rather annoying, to be honest. Additionally, double-clicking an archive will open it directly in 7-Zip if you make it the default software for that file type.
There are a lot of ways you can configure 7-Zip to be your default archiving tool. The first option is to handle it from the 7-Zip application itself.
1. Open the 7-Zip File Manager on your computer.
2. Click on the Tools menu option and select Options from the menu to open the options window.
3. In the options window, make sure you’re on the System tab. Here, you will see a list of file types that 7-Zip can handle. You’ll see two columns next to the Type Column – [Current username] and All Users. This is rather self-explanatory. Changes in the Current User column are only applicable for that while changes in the All Users column will be applicable across all users.
4. Navigate to the file type for which you want to make 7-Zip the default software. Then, go to the column for which you want to make the changes. It’ll list the current default software for that file type there. Click on it to toggle the software name until you see 7-Zip listed there. Repeat these steps for all desired file types.
5. Click on the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes.
You can also make 7-Zip the default software for an archive type from the archive file itself.
1. Right-click on the archive file. Go to the Open With option and then click the Choose Another App from the sub-menu.
2. Select 7-Zip from the list of available apps in the Select an app to open this [filetype] files window. Then, click the Always option.
Going forward, 7-Zip will become the default application for that file type.
Conclusion
7-Zip is a versatile archiving software that gives you granular control over how you want to create archives or extract them. You can also create encrypted archives with ease. On top of that, the software is completely free!
