How To Use 7-Zip Command Line?

The 7-Zip command line is a text-based interface for the 7-Zip software that allows you to use 7-Zip commands and options directly from the command prompt or terminal window. It allows you to automate tasks and perform advanced operations using 7-Zip.

How To Use 7-Zip Command Line?

To use the 7-Zip command line, you will need to open a command prompt or terminal window and type the path to the 7-Zip executable file followed by the command and options that you want to use. For example:

"C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -t7z archive.7z file_or_folder

This command will create a 7z archive called “archive.7z” containing the file or folder “file_or_folder”.

The 7-Zip command line supports a wide variety of commands and options that allow you to compress and decompress files and folders, create self-extracting (SFX) archives, apply password protection, and perform other tasks.

Table of Contents

7-Zip Command Line Examples

Here are some examples of how 7-Zip can be used from the command line:

  1. To compress a file or folder using the highest level of compression:
7z a -t7z -m0=lzma2 -mx=9 -mfb=64 -md=32m -ms=on archive.7z file_or_folder
  1. To extract the contents of an archive:
7z x archive.7z
  1. To add a file to an existing archive:
7z u archive.7z file
  1. To create a self-extracting (SFX) archive that can be extracted without 7-Zip:
7z a -sfx archive.exe file_or_folder
  1. To list the contents of an archive:
7z l archive.7z
  1. To test the integrity of an archive:
7z t archive.7z
  1. To apply password protection to an archive:
7z a -p archive.7z file_or_folder

These are just a few examples of the many things that can be done with 7-Zip from the command line. For more information, you can refer to the 7-Zip documentation or use the 7z --help command to see a list of available options.

How To Unzip a File in Command Prompt? (Windows)

To unzip a file using 7-Zip from the command line on Windows, you can use the 7z x command followed by the name of the ZIP archive that you want to extract. Here is an example of how to unzip a file in the Command Prompt on Windows using 7-Zip:

  1. Open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” into the Start menu search bar and pressing Enter.
  2. Navigate to the folder where you want to extract the ZIP archive. You can use the cd command to change directories. For example:
cd C:\Users\Username\Documents
  1. Type the following command to extract the ZIP archive:
7z x archive.zip

This will extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the current directory. If you want to extract the files to a specific folder, you can use the -o option followed by the path of the destination folder. For example:

7z x archive.zip -oC:\Users\Username\Desktop\extracted

This will extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the “extracted” folder on the desktop.

How To Unzip a File in Command Prompt on macOS?

To unzip a file using 7-Zip from the command line on macOS, you can use the 7z x command followed by the name of the ZIP archive that you want to extract. Here is an example of how to unzip a file in the terminal on macOS using 7-Zip:

  1. Open the terminal by opening the “Terminal” application from the “Utilities” folder in the “Applications” folder.
  2. Navigate to the folder where you want to extract the ZIP archive. You can use the cd command to change directories. For example:
cd /Users/Username/Documents
  1. Type the following command to extract the ZIP archive:
7z x archive.zip

This will extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the current directory. If you want to extract the files to a specific folder, you can use the -o option followed by the path of the destination folder. For example:

7z x archive.zip -o/Users/Username/Desktop/extracted

This will extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the “extracted” folder on the desktop.

How To Unzip a File in Command Prompt on Linux?

To unzip a file using 7-Zip from the command line on Linux, you can use the 7z x command followed by the name of the ZIP archive that you want to extract. Here is an example of how to unzip a file in the terminal on Linux using 7-Zip:

  1. Open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” in the application launcher.
  2. Navigate to the folder where you want to extract the ZIP archive. You can use the cd command to change directories. For example:
cd /home/username/documents
  1. Type the following command to extract the ZIP archive:
7z x archive.zip

This will extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the current directory. If you want to extract the files to a specific folder, you can use the -o option followed by the path of the destination folder. For example:

7z x archive.zip -o/home/username/desktop/extracted

This will extract the contents of the ZIP archive to the “extracted” folder on the desktop.

What Is 7-zip Switches?

7-Zip is a file archiver that can be used from the command line or from a graphical user interface (GUI). It supports a number of different switches or options that allow you to customize its behavior and perform advanced tasks. Here are some examples of 7-Zip switches that you can use:

  • -t: Specify the type of archive to create. For example, -t7z creates a 7z archive, while -tzip creates a ZIP archive.
  • -m: Set the compression method to use. For example, -mx=9 sets the compression level to maximum.
  • -mmt: Set the number of CPU threads to use. For example, -mmt=4 uses four CPU threads.
  • -o: Set the output directory for the extracted files. For example, -oC:\extracted extracts the files to the “extracted” folder on the C drive.
  • -p: Set the password for an encrypted archive.
  • -sfx: Create a self-extracting (SFX) archive.
  • -v: Create a multivolume archive.

Full List of Switches

Here is a list of all of the 7-Zip switches that are available in the latest version of 7-Zip:

7z command:

  • a: Add files to an archive.
  • b: Set the volume size for multivolume archives.
  • d: Delete files from an archive.
  • e: Extract the contents of an archive.
  • h: Display help information.
  • i: Include filenames in the archive.
  • l: List the contents of an archive.
  • r: Add files to an archive recursively.
  • t: Test the integrity of an archive.
  • u: Update the files in an existing archive.
  • x: Extract the contents of an archive with full paths.

a, d, e, l, r, t, u, x commands:

  • -ai[r[-|0]]]{@listfile|!wildcard}: Include archives.
  • -ax[r[-|0]]]{@listfile|!wildcard}: Exclude archives.
  • -bd: Disable percentage indicator.
  • -i[r[-|0]]]{@listfile|!wildcard}: Include filenames.
  • -m{Parameters}: Set compression method.
  • -o{Directory}: Set output directory.
  • -p{Password}: Set password.
  • -r: Recurse subdirectories.
  • -scc{UTF-8|WIN|DOS}: Set charset for list files.
  • -scs{UTF-8|UTF-16LE|UTF-16BE|WIN|DOS}: Set charset for console input/output.
  • -sfx[{name}]: Create SFX archive.
  • -si[{name}]: Read data from stdin.
  • -slt: Show technical information for l (List) command.
  • -so: Write data to stdout.

How to Use Switches In 7-Zip Command Line?

To use switches or options with 7-Zip, you will need to specify them along with the 7-Zip command when using 7-Zip from the command line. Here is an example of how to use a switch with the 7z command:

7z a -t7z -mx=9 archive.7z file_or_folder

This command creates a 7z archive called “archive.7z” containing the file or folder “file_or_folder” using maximum compression. The -t7z switch specifies the type of archive to create, while the -mx=9 switch sets the compression level to maximum.

To use multiple switches with a single command, you can simply list them one after the other, separated by a space. For example:

7z x -oC:\extracted -psecret archive.zip

This command extracts the contents of the “archive.zip” file to the “extracted” folder on the C drive, using the password “secret”. The -o switch specifies the output directory, while the -p switch sets the password.

Keep in mind that the syntax for the switches and options may vary depending on the version of 7-Zip that you are using. Be sure to consult the documentation or use the 7z --help command to get the correct syntax for the version of 7-Zip that you are using.

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