How to Extract 7-Zip Archived Files

For the last few years, RAR and ZIP have been the archiving file format of preference. It is simple to ZIP a file in Windows, and RAR files can be split so that they fall within the correct file limits of various Web sites.

You may have noticed recently the increase in files archived with a new type of compression - 7-Zip, most often referred to a 7z. This new method is the compression type of 7-Zip, an open source archiving format for users of nearly any operating system.

If you've downloaded a 7z file but you're unsure of how to extract the 7-Zip, read on to find out how.

Items Needed:

Computer

Extraction Software

7z File

Step 1: You will need to download and install to your computer the program that created the archives - 7Zip. It is free to download from http://www.7-zip.org/ and will work on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Install it onto your computer.

Step 2: Place all the 7z files you have downloaded into the same folder - this is especially necessary if you have several files that are parts of a single file - for example, 7z.part1, 7z.part2, etc.

Step 3: Identify the first file in the series - it will end with '1'. Right click on this file. You will see new items in your menu - 7-Zip. Choose that and choose 'Extract Files'. A box will appear and offer several options. In the input area, choose the location you want to save the file to. In the Path Mode, choose 'current pathnames', and then choose if you want to files to be auto renamed or overwrote. Finally, if the files require a password, enter it in the password field.

Step 4: A new box will appear, and will show you the progress of the files being extracted. If you are extracting a large amount of files, this may take awhile. If it appears to hang, don't cancel it - it will usually jump ahead far after a couple minutes.

If, for some reason, there is an error, and the files don't extract, then there is one of three problems: either you don't have all the files for the series downloaded, you don't have them all together in the same folder, or one of the files is corrupt. If a file is corrupt, there is nothing you can do. If the problem is one of the first two, however, it is an easy fit, so double check your files.