7z Compressed Archives

.7z is a compressed archive file format developed by Igor Pavlov, the creator of 7-Zip. The “7z” stands for “7-Zip”, and it’s also known as the LZMA2 (Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain-Algorithm 2) format.

Here are some key features of the .7z file format:

Compression algorithms: .7z files use a combination of compression algorithms, including:

  1. LZMA2: A lossless compression algorithm that combines LZ77 (a variant of LZ78) and Markov chain algorithms.
  2. PPMD: A context-based compression algorithm for text data.

Features:

  • High compression ratios: .7z files can achieve high compression ratios, making them ideal for storing large amounts of data in a small space.
  • Multi-volume archives: .7z files can be split into multiple volumes, allowing for easier distribution and storage.
  • Strong encryption: .7z files support AES-256 encryption, ensuring secure protection of archived data.
  • Self-extracting archives: .7z files can be created as self-extracting archives (SFX), which allow users to extract the contents without needing a separate archiver.

Compatibility:

  • 7-Zip: The official 7-Zip software supports creating, extracting, and managing .7z files.
  • Other software: Some third-party software, like WinRAR, also support .7z file format, although with varying levels of compatibility.

In summary, the .7z file format is a compressed archive format developed by 7-Zip that uses advanced compression algorithms and supports features like multi-volume archives, strong encryption, and self-extracting archives.