How to install 7-Zip on Windows 11 or 10 with single command

Run winget install --id 7zip.7zip -e --source winget in PowerShell or Command Prompt to install 7-Zip on Windows 11 or Windows 10 with a single command.

This guide covers opening PowerShell, the install command and its switches, adding 7-Zip to the system path, the main 7z command line options, and how to update or uninstall it.

Install 7-Zip on Windows 11 with one winget command

WinGet, the Windows Package Manager, is built into Windows 11 and modern versions of Windows 10 as part of App Installer. It downloads the 7-Zip installer and runs it for you.

winget install --id 7zip.7zip -e --source winget --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

--id 7zip.7zip picks the 7-Zip package by its ID, -e requires an exact match, --source winget skips the Microsoft Store source, and the two accept switches answer the licence prompts so the install runs without stopping.

You should see: WinGet shows the download, then Successfully installed. 7-Zip appears in the Start menu and in File Explorer's right-click menu.

The shorter winget install 7zip.7zip also works when it matches only one package. If Windows asks for permission to make changes, select Yes; declining stops the install.

Step 1: Access the PowerShell

WinGet runs from PowerShell, Windows Terminal or Command Prompt. An administrator PowerShell window avoids the elevation prompt during the install.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Select Terminal (Admin) on Windows 11, or Windows PowerShell (Admin) on Windows 10.
3. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
4. Type winget --version and press Enter to confirm WinGet is available.
5. If Windows says winget is not recognized, update App Installer from the Microsoft Store and open a new window.

WinGet needs Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later. On a brand-new PC it becomes available only after the first user sign-in, once the Microsoft Store has registered it.

Step 2: 7-Zip installation on Windows 11

Search first if you want to see the package before installing it. The search shows the name, ID, current version and source.

1. Type winget search 7zip and press Enter.
2. Find 7-Zip in the Name column and confirm the Id column shows 7zip.7zip with source winget.
3. Type winget install --id 7zip.7zip -e --source winget and press Enter.
4. Type Y and press Enter if WinGet asks you to accept the source agreement.
5. Wait for Successfully installed, then close the window.
6. To install without the installer window, add --silent to the same command.

The same command works on Windows 10. WinGet picks the installer that matches your PC, such as x64 or ARM64, and installs the latest version, 7-Zip 26.05 at the time of writing.

Step 3: Run 7-Zip to compress or decompress files

After the install, 7-Zip adds its own commands to File Explorer and a 7-Zip File Manager app. You can use it without the command line.

1. Open File Explorer and right-click the files or folder you want to compress.
2. On Windows 11, select Show more options to see the full menu.
3. Point to 7-Zip and select Add to archive.
4. Choose 7z or zip in Archive format, set a Compression level, and select OK.
5. To extract, right-click an archive, point to 7-Zip, and select Extract Here or Extract files.
6. To browse an archive first, open 7-Zip File Manager from the Start menu and double-click the archive.

The same menu also handles splitting and combining, so you can use 7-Zip for every archive task once it is installed.

Step 4: Add 7-Zip to system path

The 7-Zip installer puts 7z.exe in C:\Program Files\7-Zip but does not add that folder to the Path variable. Add it so 7z works from any folder.

1. Open Start, search for Environment Variables, and select Edit the system environment variables.
2. In the System Properties window, select Environment Variables.
3. Under System variables, select Path and then select Edit.
4. Select New and type C:\Program Files\7-Zip.
5. Select OK to save the change and close every dialog.
6. Close and reopen PowerShell or Command Prompt so it reads the new Path.

Without this step, run 7-Zip by its full path instead, for example & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" in PowerShell.

Step 5: Use 7z command line options

Every 7z command follows the same pattern: 7z <command> [switches] <archive> [files]. The command is a single letter, and switches start with a hyphen.

1. Open PowerShell or Command Prompt in the folder that holds your files, or use cd /D to change to it.
2. Type 7z and press Enter to print the full list of commands and switches.
3. Pick a command: a to add files to an archive, x to extract with folders, l to list contents, t to test an archive.
4. Add switches such as -t for the archive type, -mx for the compression level, or -p for a password.
5. Give the archive name, then the files or folders to include.
6. Press Enter and wait for Everything is Ok.

7-Zip compresses subfolders without the -r switch. Use -r only to collect files matching a pattern, such as every .txt file under a folder: 7z a -r c:\a.zip c:\dir\*.txt.

Primary 7-Zip command line usage

These are the commands most people need. Replace the names with your own files and folders.

Task	Command	What it does
Create a compressed archive	7z a backup.7z C:\Data	Compresses the folder and all its subfolders into a 7z archive
Extract an archive	7z x backup.7z -oC:\Restore	Extracts with the original folder structure into C:\Restore
List the files in an archive	7z l backup.7z	Shows names, sizes and dates without extracting
Compress with a specific format	7z a -tzip backup.zip C:\Data	Creates a ZIP file instead of 7z
Set the compression level	7z a -mx9 backup.7z C:\Data	Uses maximum compression; -mx1 is fastest
Create a password-protected archive	7z a -p -mhe=on secret.7z C:\Data	Prompts for a password, encrypts with AES-256 and hides file names
Test an archive	7z t backup.7z	Checks the archive for CRC errors

Use * rather than *.* as a wildcard. 7-Zip treats *.* as files that have an extension, so files without one are skipped.

Install 7-Zip without winget

If WinGet is not available, use the installer from the official 7-Zip website. It also supports a silent install for scripts.

Your situation	Use this	Command or action
Windows 11 or 10 with WinGet	WinGet	winget install --id 7zip.7zip -e --source winget
No WinGet, normal install	The .exe installer from 7-zip.org	Download the 64-bit x64 (or ARM64) installer and select Install
Silent install from a script with the .exe	Installer switches	7z2605-x64.exe /S /D="C:\Program Files\7-Zip" (switches are case-sensitive)
Silent install with the .msi	MSI switches	msiexec /i 7z2605-x64.msi /q INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\7-Zip"
Command line only, no install	7-Zip Extra	The standalone console version from the official download page

The 7-Zip site recommends the .exe installer over the .msi. If you prefer a normal download, the 7-Zip download page for Windows lists every edition.

Find the installed 7-Zip version with winget

winget list --id 7zip.7zip

Lists the installed 7-Zip package with its version and whether an update is available.

You should see: A row for 7-Zip with ID 7zip.7zip and a version number. Running 7z alone prints the same version in its first line.

Update 7-Zip with winget upgrade

1. Open PowerShell or Terminal as administrator.
2. Type winget upgrade --id 7zip.7zip -e and press Enter.
3. Wait for Successfully installed; WinGet replaces the old version in place.
4. To update every app WinGet manages at once, run winget upgrade --all instead.

How to uninstall 7-Zip on Windows 11

winget uninstall --id 7zip.7zip -e --source winget

Removes 7-Zip. --source winget avoids a Microsoft Store agreement prompt during the uninstall.

You should see: WinGet reports Successfully uninstalled and the 7-Zip entries disappear from the right-click menu.

You can also uninstall from Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps: select More next to 7-Zip, then Uninstall. Remove C:\Program Files\7-Zip from Path afterwards if you added it.

Fix winget or 7z is not recognized

"winget is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet"

App Installer is missing, out of date, or not yet registered for this account.

1. Update App Installer from the Microsoft Store.
2. On a new PC, sign in once and wait for the Store to register WinGet.
3. Run Add-AppxPackage -RegisterByFamilyName -MainPackage Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe in PowerShell, then open a new window.

"7z is not recognized as an internal or external command"

The 7-Zip folder is not in the Path variable, or the window was open before you changed it.

1. Add C:\Program Files\7-Zip to Path as shown in Step 4.
2. Close every terminal window and open a new one.
3. Run 7z again; the version line confirms it works.

WinGet shows several matching packages

A plain name query matches more than one package or source.

1. Use the exact ID with --id 7zip.7zip -e.
2. Add --source winget so the Microsoft Store results are skipped.

The install fails after a permission prompt

The installer needs administrator rights and the prompt was declined.

1. Open Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. Run the install command again and select Yes if prompted.

Install 7-Zip on Windows 11 FAQ

How do I install 7-Zip on Windows 11?

Open Terminal as administrator and run winget install –id 7zip.7zip -e –source winget. WinGet downloads and installs the latest 7-Zip. Without WinGet, download the 64-bit installer from 7-zip.org and run it.

Does 7-Zip work with Windows 11?

Yes. The official 7-Zip site lists Windows 11 and Windows 10 as supported, with installers for 64-bit x64, 32-bit x86 and 64-bit ARM64 PCs. After installation it adds its commands to the File Explorer right-click menu.

Does Windows 11 come with 7-Zip?

No. 7-Zip is a separate free program by Igor Pavlov and is not part of Windows. Install it with WinGet or the official installer to get the 7-Zip File Manager, the right-click menu and the 7z command line tool.

What is 7-Zip on Windows 11?

7-Zip is a free, open-source file archiver. It creates 7z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ and WIM archives, opens many more formats including RAR and ISO, and supports AES-256 encryption for 7z and ZIP files.

How do I download 7-Zip for Windows 11?

Download it from the official site, 7-zip.org. Choose the 64-bit x64 .exe installer for most PCs, or the ARM64 installer for ARM-based Windows PCs. WinGet downloads the same installer automatically when you use the install command.

How do I uninstall 7-Zip on Windows 11?

Run winget uninstall –id 7zip.7zip -e –source winget in PowerShell or Terminal. You can also open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select More next to 7-Zip, and choose Uninstall.

Is 7-Zip free to use?

Yes. 7-Zip is free, open-source software, mostly under the GNU LGPL licence. You can use it on any computer, including in a company, without registering or paying.

How do I use 7-Zip on Windows 11?

Right-click files in File Explorer, select Show more options, point to 7-Zip, and choose Add to archive or Extract Here. From the command line, use 7z a to compress and 7z x to extract.

Can I install 7-Zip silently?

Yes. Add –silent to the winget install command, or run the .exe installer with the case-sensitive /S switch. For the .msi installer, use the /q switch with INSTALLDIR to set the folder.