- 7-Zip for Windows |
- Keka for Mac |
- FAQ |
- Video |
- Tips
This wikiHow teaches you how to make a .7z or .zip file as small as possible on your PC or Mac. Although the built-in compression tools on both Windows and macOS can compress files quite well, neither gives you the option to add a higher level of compression. Thankfully, there's a free, easy-to-use Windows app called 7-Zip that gives you more control over your file's final size. Although there's no 7-Zip app for macOS, you can use a similar app called Keka to compress files in the 7Z format and achieve comparable results. Keep in mind that files that are already in compressed formats, such as MP3, AVI, MPG, and JPG files, won't get much smaller than their actual sizes when compressed into ZIP or 7Z files.
Compressing Files with 7-Zip
- Install 7-Zip for Windows.
- Right-click the file you want to compress.
- Select 7-Zip > Add to archive…
- Select 7z as the archive format.
- Select Ultra as the compression level for the smallest file.
- Select LZMA2 from the compression method menu.
- Click OK .
Steps
Using 7-Zip for Windows
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Install 7-Zip for Windows. 7-Zip is a free file compression utility that provides more compression options than the standard Windows zip/unzip tool. You can download it for free from www.7-zip.org .
- Once downloaded, double-click the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install 7-Zip.
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Right-click the file or folder you want to compress. If you want to compress multiple files into one ZIP, you can add them to a folder and right-click that, or just hold down the Control key as you click each file, and then right-click the highlighted area.Advertisement
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Select 7-Zip on the menu. A few options will appear.
- If you're using Windows 10 or earlier, you will see this option. If you're using Windows 11, click Show more options at the bottom of the right-click menu, then select 7-Zip .
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Click Add to archive… . 7-Zip will open to the Add to Archive screen.
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Select an archive format. The ZIP format is the easiest to open on other platforms, but if you choose the 7z format, you can use a higher level of compression, which will result in a smaller file.
- If you plan to send a 7z file to someone else or share it over BitTorrent, they'll be able to decompress it without installing additional software on a Mac. If they are using Windows, they'll need to install 7-Zip or another 7z-compatible archive program.
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Select Ultra from the "Compression level" menu. This will produce the smallest possible file size. However, Ultra compression will greatly increase the amount of time your computer will spend compressing the file, so if you want to move quickly, opt for a lower compression level. [1] X Research source
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Select LZMA2 from the "Compression method" menu. LZMA2 is the latest update to LZMA. Either of these options will provide a faster compression level than the others. [2] X Research source
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8Select a dictionary size (optional). 7-Zip will choose a default dictionary size based on the compression level you selected. If your file is very large, you can increase the dictionary size beyond the 16 MB default to reduce the size of the file, but it will take much longer to compress. The maximum dictionary size is 3840 MB. [3] X Research source
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Click OK to compress the file(s). When 7-Zip finishes creating your compressed file, it will appear in the same folder as the original files—it's the file with a .zip or .7z file extension.
- To see the file size of the compressed ZIP, right-click the .7z or .zip file and select Properties .
Using Keka for Mac
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Install Keka. Keka is a free, open-source file compression tool for macOS that provides more compression options than the built-in zip archive utility. To download Keka, open the App Store on your Mac (the blue icon with a white "A" inside) and search for keka . When you find it, click the GET button to install the app. [4] X Research source
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Open Keka. Once Keka is installed, you'll find it in your Launchpad and the Applications folder.
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Select a compression format. For the best level of compression, go for 7z or GZIP . ZIP is the most common and can be opened on any platform without installing additional tools, but based on benchmark tests, 7z will actually compress the ZIP to a much smaller size than other formats, and at a faster speed. It's especially better at highly compressing video files. [5] X Research source
- You won't need to install special software on your Mac to decompress a 7z file, but Windows users would need to install 7-Zip (free).
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Drag the slider all the way to the right. When the slider is at the "Slow" position, Keka will compress the file to the smallest size possible. [6] X Research source Because the compression will be so high, the process will take a lot of time, hence the word "Slow."
- Leave the remaining options set to their defaults for the best level of compression at the fastest possible time.
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Drag the file(s) you want to add to the compressed ZIP. If you want to compress multiple files into one 7z file, you can add them to a folder and drag the folder to the app. Alternatively, hold down the Command key as you click each file, and then drag the highlighted files to Keka. This will compress the files into a 7z, ZIP, or whichever you selected.
- To see the size of the resulting file, click it once in Finder, and then press Command + I to view its file info.
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
- If you need to compress a ZIP or 7-Zip file that contains an already-compressed format, begin by reducing the sizes of the files you're compressing. This could mean cutting off the excess from an audio file or reducing the resolution of a JPG .Thanks
- Both 7-Zip and Keka allow you to split a ZIP or 7z file into smaller files as well as create one larger file.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://rclaussen.de/zip-vs-7z-using-optimal-7-zip-compression-presets/
- ↑ https://www.7-zip.org/7z.html
- ↑ https://www.7-zip.org/7z.html
- ↑ http://keka.io/en/
- ↑ https://www.topattack.com/list/file-archive-formats-test-and-comparison/23
- ↑ https://github.com/aonez/Keka/wiki/Compressing-with-Keka#how-to-compress-some-files
- ↑ https://video4change.org/book/video-compression-guide/
About This Article
1. Install 7-Zip.
2. Right-click the file(s) you want to zip.
3. Select 7-Zip
and click Add to archive…
4. Select ZIP
or 7z
as the archive format.
5. Choose LZMA2
or LZMA
as the compression method.
6. Click OK
.