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What is the Purpose of 7Z Files?
Every single person using any Mac has encountered the necessity to compress and unzip huge files at least once in their life. It could be anything from extensive documents your university professor sent you for the seminar to downloading files from the internet. People archive files to save storage space, ensure smooth device functioning, and send the info without losing quality. Although a file size is not as necessary nowadays as it was back in the day (when any hard drive could cost a fortune!), compressing remains a savvy technique to keep your files in order and your MacBook operating systems intact.
While most people unmistakably recognize such popular archive formats as RAR, ZIP, or ISO, 7z files are less widespread. Although this archive type has a long history traced back to 1999, 7-Zip is not the first one to cross your mind when you need to compress something. In this article, we will explain why it should be your priority for this task. Also, we’ll share some valuable tips and tricks about 7z files you didn’t know.
How to Open 7z Files by Default on Mac?
Congratulations, you’ve stumbled upon a mysterious .7z file extension. No worries or concerns! To open the 7z file on your Mac, you don’t have to take additional steps or download special programs.
MacOS can unzip original files using Archive Utility, a built-in app. This is the first method any user can apply to open the necessary document. Finding Archive Utility is also easy. You just need to open the menu with the right click and choose the ”open with Archive Utility” option. Although this method is easy and time-savvy, you can’t get more out of this built-in macOS app. Users must download assisting programs to create any 7z archive or unzip its files separately.
Apps to help you Open and Extract 7z Files
Better Zip
Therefore, if you want to have a program on your Mac whose functionality goes beyond the default settings, consider such apps as Better Zip. This archive manager fulfills several crucial tasks. Not only does it extract files, but it also can create several dozens of file formats, provide the preview feature, and even sets passwords for the documents. Speaking of the preview mode, this functionality is especially handy when you want to see the file content without actually unzipping it.
Online-Archive-Extractor
Another option among file openers and 7-Zip File managers is Online-Archive-Extractor. This online tool also provides users with a variety of additional features. You may apply it even without downloading it. Just open the extractor in a browser.
Keka
Keka is a software program that allows users to compress files in multiple formats without limitations on quantity. It also offers easy splitting and password protection. Simply drag and drop files onto the Keka icon in the Dock or main window. Besides working with 7z files, Keka also extracts files from other archive types, such as ZIP or RAR. This app is intuitive, so even users without much experience will get the necessary files out of archives. Also, it can be downloaded for free, which is also a nice bonus.
Why Use 7Z Format?
Compress files to the smaller sizes
One advantage of using this archival method is that it can compress files to a smaller size, which facilitates file transfer and download via the internet. This feature is particularly beneficial for transferring large files, as it can compress data into sizes that theoretically reach up to 16 billion GB.
More secure than any other archive type
7-Zip also offers a higher compression ratio and AES-256 encryption. What does this encryption mean? AES stands for the Advanced Encryption Standard. The US government adopted it as the default encryption format to secure classified data. Nowadays, it has to be an integral part of any organization’s risk management strategy. As we see, it is a pretty serious instrument that governmental and business entities have to apply. AES is available in various implementations, from 128-bit to 256-bit. The latest version is the most secure, and 7-zip excellently copes with it. Thus, this archive type is the best match if you need to compress and transfer files containing crucial information.
Conclusion
While large archives can be effectively handled by 7z, users often prefer ZIP files due to their greater compatibility across different platforms. Although 7-Zip may be one of the common graphical programs used for compression handling and extracting multiple archive types due to its intuitive interface, ZIP still wins users’ hearts and gets at the hearing more often.
The 7-zip file format is a good solution for different kinds of files. It is intuitive, provides an easy extraction process, and allows working with classified documents. Consider using it when working with extensive files.
