7-Zip download for Windows

7-Zip is a small file archiver for Windows. Most people install it for two jobs: opening an archive somebody sent them, and squeezing a folder into one smaller file to send back. Both happen from the right-click menu, and there is nothing to register or pay for, at home or at work.

Which 7-Zip download do you need?

The official download page lists a handful of files for the same release. On an ordinary PC only three of them matter:

• 64-bit x64 (.exe) is the one for almost every current Windows PC with an Intel or AMD processor.
• ARM64 (.exe) is for Arm-based Windows laptops.
• 32-bit x86 (.exe) is only for old 32-bit Windows installations.

If you are not sure which you have, open Settings, System, About and read the "System type" line.

The same page also carries .msi installers. They install the same program and exist for administrators who roll software out across many machines; the project itself recommends the .exe for everyone else. The remaining entries, 7zr.exe and 7-Zip Extra, are command-line tools. Skip them unless you are writing scripts.

Is there a portable 7-Zip?

Not an official one with a window. 7-Zip Extra is described as a standalone console version, so it has no file manager to click around in. If you want an archiver that lives on a USB stick, look through our portable software picks instead.

After installing: where 7-Zip shows up

Run the installer, accept the folder it suggests and you are done in a few seconds. 7-Zip then adds its own submenu to the File Explorer right-click menu. On Windows 11 you may have to choose "Show more options" first to see it.

There is also a 7-Zip File Manager in the Start menu. It is useful when you want to look inside an archive, pull out one file, or change which file types open with 7-Zip.

Three things you will actually do

Open an archive. Right-click the file, go to 7-Zip and choose "Extract Here", or "Extract to" followed by the archive's name if you want everything kept in its own folder.

Make an archive. Select the files, right-click, then 7-Zip and "Add to archive". Pick 7z when size matters most. Pick ZIP when the other person may not have 7-Zip, because Windows opens ZIP files without any extra software.

Lock it with a password. The same "Add to archive" window has a password box. 7-Zip uses AES-256 encryption for both 7z and ZIP. With the 7z format you can also tick "Encrypt file names", which hides the list of files until the password is entered. There is no recovery if you forget it.

What 7-Zip will not do

It creates seven formats: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM. A much longer list, including RAR, ISO, CAB, MSI, DMG and several virtual disk formats, can be opened but not created. The 7-Zip home page keeps the full list.

Common questions

Is 7-Zip free on a work computer?

Yes. The project states that you may use 7-Zip on any computer, including one in a commercial organisation, without registering or paying. Most of the code is under the GNU LGPL; some parts use the BSD 3-clause licence, and the RAR extraction code carries its own unRAR restriction.

Can 7-Zip create RAR files?

No. It extracts them, but it cannot write the format. Send 7z or ZIP instead.

Should I take the EXE or the MSI?

The EXE. The MSI is there for IT departments that deploy software centrally, and the project recommends the EXE installer over it.

I forgot the password to my archive. Now what?

7-Zip has no back door and no reset. If the password is gone, so is access to the contents, which is the whole point of encrypting them. Keep important passwords in a password manager.