Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: 7-Zip (Windows)
• Method 2 of 4: WinZip (Windows)
• Method 3 of 4: The Unarchiver (Mac OS X)
• Method 4 of 4: iZip (mobile)
• Tips

If you come across a file with the extension ".7z" and you do not know how to open it, this article will be useful for you. "7z" or "7-Zip" are archives of one or more files in one compressed form. To extract these files from the archive, you need to install the archiver program. These programs can usually be installed for free on any operating system (including iOS and Android). In this article, you will learn how to open 7z files using iZip on a mobile device, using 7-Zip or WinZip on a Windows computer, and using the Unarchiver on Mac OS X.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: 7-Zip (Windows)

1. 1 Go to 7-Zip website. Since 7z files are compressed archives, their contents cannot be seen until the files are extracted by an archiving program. With the help of the 7-Zip program, Windows users can extract the contents of the archive absolutely free.
   • WinZip is another popular program that has a free trial. If 7-Zip doesn't work for you, try installing WinZip.
2. 2 Click on “Download” next to the file for your version of Windows (32-bit or 64-bit).
   • If you do not know the capacity of your computer, click ⊞ Win+Sto start a search, and then type "system". Click on "System" in the search results window and then find "System Type".
3. 3 Specify the save folder (for example, Desktop) and click "Save".
4. 4 Double click on the 7-Zip.exe file and select "Open". Follow the prompts to install 7-Zip.
   • When the installation is complete, click Finish.
5. 5 Double click on the 7z file you want to open. The contents of the archive will be displayed in the 7-Zip window.
6. 6 Click on Ctrl+Ato select all the files in the archive, and then click Extract.
7. 7 Click on the "..." button to select a folder to extract files. The files extracted from the 7z archive will be placed in the specified folder.
   • By default, a folder will be created in the current directory with the same name as the 7z file.
   • For example, if the file is named Blue.7z and is on the desktop, a new folder named Blue will be created here.
8. 8 Click OK to extract the files to a folder. You will see an unzip progress bar. When the files are extracted, the indicator will disappear. After that, double click on the folder to access the files.

Method 2 of 4: WinZip (Windows)

1. 1 Double click on the 7z file. A 7z file is an archive containing one or more files compressed to a smaller size. To access them, they must first be retrieved. Some Windows users may already have WinZip installed, which is capable of unzipping 7z files.
   • If double-clicking the 7z file won't open the archive, continue with the next steps to download a trial version of WinZip.
   • A free alternative for Windows users is 7-Zip.
2. 2 Open the page http://www.winzip.com/win/ru/. The program costs from 2,251 to 3,755 rubles (the price depends on the version), but users can install the program and use it during a 30-day trial period.
3. 3 Click on "Try it for free" and then save the installation file to the "Downloads" folder.
4. 4 Double click on the installation file and then click "Yes". The program will be installed on your computer.
5. 5 Double click on the .7z file. The contents of the archive will appear in the WinZip window.
6. 6 Click on Ctrl+Ato highlight all files and folders contained in the archive.
7. 7 Click on the button "Unzip to:».
8. 8 Choose where to unzip the files to your computer or the cloud, and then specify the destination folder. By default, the program will create a new folder with the same name as the archive.
9. 9 Click Unzip to extract the contents of the 7z file to a folder. Now you can open files that were compressed in a 7z archive.

Method 3 of 4: The Unarchiver (Mac OS X)

1. 1 Launch the App Store on your Mac. To access the files that are in the 7z archive, you will have to install a program to extract them. The Unarchiver is a popular program for Mac users that can be downloaded and installed from the App Store.
2. 2 Enter "Unarchiver" in the search box at the top of the App Store, and then select the program when it appears in the search results.
3. 3 Click Download and then Install.
4. 4 Follow the instructions on the screen to install "The Unarchiver" on your computer.
5. 5 Run the program when it is installed. A list of file associations will appear on the screen.
6. 6 Select "7-Zip archive" from the "File Formats" list. This will tell the program to recognize and open files with the .7z extension in the future.
7. 7 Go to the Extraction tab.
8. 8 Select “Ask for a destination folder” from the drop-down menu. This option will allow you to choose the location where the files will be extracted.
9. 9 Double click on the 7z file you want to open. You will be asked to specify the folder where the files will be extracted.
10. 10 Specify the folder where the archived files will be saved, and then click “Extract”. The program will unzip the files and copy them to the specified folder. When the progress bar disappears, open the files.

Method 4 of 4: iZip (mobile)

1. 1 Search for the iZip app in the App Store or Play Store. A 7z file is a compressed archive containing one or more files. To access the files inside the archive, you need a program that can extract them. The recommended free program for working with this particular file type is the iZip application.
2. 2 Click Download or Install. The app will be downloaded and installed on your device.
3. 3 Click on the iZip icon to launch the application.
4. 4 Click on Local Files to locate the .7z file. If the 7z file is in the cloud, select the "iCloud Drive" or "Google Drive" option.
5. 5 Hold down the filename 7z. Click on the file and do not release until you see a field with the text: "Would you like to unzip all files?" (Do you want to extract all files?).
6. 6 Click OK. The contents of the 7z file will be extracted to a folder with the same name.
   • When the progress bar disappears, click on the files inside the application or navigate to the folder where they are located.

Tips

• The 7z file may be smaller than the folder created after the extraction process. It should be so. People compress files in this format to create one smaller file that is easier to move around.
• Most programs that can unzip 7z files can create them.