Set up 7-Zip as the default archive handler on Windows 11

TL;DR

Install **7-Zip 24.09**, open **7-Zip File Manager > Tools > Options**, associate common archive types, and show the full context menu via the Shift menu or a shell tweak.

Before you start

Requirements

Windows 11 25H2 (x64)
7-Zip 24.09 from https://www.7-zip.org/
Admin rights for file-type association

Step by step

Instructions

Install 7-Zip

Install via winget or the MSI from 7-zip.org. The 64-bit build is the right one on any modern Windows 11 machine.

winget install --id 7zip.7zip --source winget

Open the File Manager as admin

Open the Start menu, find **7-Zip File Manager**, right-click and choose **Run as administrator**. Associations set from a non-elevated session only apply to the current user.

⚠ warningWithout admin, the system-wide checkbox is greyed out.

Associate archive types

Inside the File Manager open **Tools > Options**. On the **System** tab click the **+** under the **All users** column to tick every extension, or pick just 7z, zip, rar, tar, gz, xz, zst and iso.

Confirm defaults in Windows Settings

Open **Settings > Apps > Default apps**, search for a file type like .rar, and verify 7-Zip is the default. Windows 11 may prompt once per extension the first time you open a file.

tipIf a format shows **Choose a default**, click it, pick **7-Zip File Manager** and confirm.

Get the full right-click menu

Windows 11 hides legacy context entries under **Show more options** (Shift+F10). To put the full 7-Zip menu back on the top level, install **NanaZip** (https://github.com/M2Team/NanaZip) or the 7-Zip Context Menu add-on; both expose native Windows 11 modern menu entries.

winget install --id M2Team.NanaZip --source winget

tipNanaZip is a 7-Zip fork with first-class Windows 11 shell integration. Pick one or the other, not both.

Verify with a real file

Right-click any .zip in Explorer. You should see **7-Zip** (or **NanaZip**) with Extract, Open archive, and Add to archive. Double-clicking the file should open 7-Zip, not Windows' built-in extractor.

Troubleshooting

Common issues

7-Zip entries missing after a Windows feature update

Feature updates can reset associations. Reopen **7-Zip File Manager** as admin and re-apply the associations from **Tools > Options**.

RAR files open in Windows' built-in extractor instead

Windows 11 25H2 handles RAR natively. Open **Settings > Apps > Default apps**, search .rar, and change the default to **7-Zip File Manager**.

The 7-Zip menu only appears under Show more options

That is the Windows 11 behavior for legacy shell extensions. Install NanaZip or a modern context-menu wrapper to see entries at the top level.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Is 7-Zip still being updated?

Yes. 7-Zip 24.x is the current line with ZSTD and improved RAR5 support.

Should I use NanaZip instead?

NanaZip is based on 7-Zip with native Windows 11 integration. Functionally similar for everyday use.

Does 7-Zip handle encrypted archives?

Yes, both AES-256 for .7z and ZipCrypto/AES for .zip.

How to undo this

Open **7-Zip File Manager** as admin, go to **Tools > Options > System**, click the **-** button to clear associations, then uninstall from **Settings > Apps > Installed apps**. Reset per-type defaults in **Settings > Apps > Default apps**.

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