7Z
An archive format developed for 7-Zip that supports multiple compression methods, solid compression, and AES-256 encryption.
General information
- Format name
- 7z Archive
- Extension
.7z- MIME type
application/x-7z-compressed- Category
- archive
- Data type
- Binary
- Developer
- Igor Pavlov
- Introduced
- 1999
File signatures
| Offset | Hexadecimal | ASCII | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 37 7A BC AF 27 1C | — | Standard six-byte 7z archive signature. |
Common uses
High-compression archives
Software distribution
Encrypted archives
Large file collections
Long-term file packaging
Format identifiers
- PRONOM
fmt/484- Media type
application/x-7z-compressed
Related formats
Technical resources
| Resource | Publisher | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 7z Format | 7-Zip | Open resource ↗ |
| 7z File Format | Library of Congress | Open resource ↗ |
Record information
- Verified
- October 3, 2026
- Last updated
- October 3, 2026