7-Zip, the popular open-source file archiver known for its high compression ratio, has released its latest update, version 24.05. This update brings many new features and improvements, enhancing its functionality and performance. Here they are.
Expanded Format Support
One of the main highlights of 7-Zip 24.05 is its expanded support for various archive formats. Users can now unpack ZSTD archives recognized by the “.zst” file extension. Additionally, 7-Zip can unpack ZIP, SquashFS, and RPM archives that utilize the ZSTD compression method.
The update also extends its capabilities to unpack RAR archives created by the new WinRAR 7.00, even those using dictionaries larger than 4 GB. Furthermore, 7-Zip 24.05 allows unpacking DMG archives using the XZ (ULMO/LZMA) compression method, NTFS images with cluster sizes larger than 64 KB, and MBR and GDP images with 4 KB sectors.
7-Zip 24.05 Performance Enhancements
Speed optimization is another key focus of this update. Users will experience faster unpacking speeds for several archive types, including RAR, CAB, WIM, ZIP, and GZ. Hash calculation speeds have also been improved for CRC-32, CRC-64, and Blake2sp algorithms.
New Features and Bug Fixes
7-Zip 24.05 introduces support for the fast hash algorithm XXH64, which is commonly used in ZSTD. The update also includes a new RISCV filter for compressing 7z and xz archives, which can increase the compression ratio for executable files compiled for RISC-V architecture.
The ARM64 version for Windows has a significant performance boost, with LZMA and LZMA2 decompression speeds increasing by 20% to 60%. The update also addresses several bugs, including a fix for a multivolume creation issue in 7-Zip for Linux.
Additionally, new user permissions have been added to the 7-Zip GUI and File Manager, prompting users when unpacking RAR archives that require a large amount of memory.
User Experience Enhancements
A new switch, -smemx{size}g, allows users to set a memory usage limit for unpacking the RAR archive, accommodating up to 64 GB of dictionaries. The default limit is set at 4 GB, but users can adjust this as needed. Another new switch, -y, in 7zg.exe (7-Zip GUI), disables user requests and messages, streamlining the unpacking process.
Moreover, 7-Zip now displays hash methods XXH64 and BLAKE2sp in the context menu, and new switches such as -slmu and -slsl improve timestamp display and file path handling in different environments.
For users concerned with temporary file management, a new menu item in the 7-Zip File Manager, “Tools / Delete Temporary Files…” has been added. This feature opens a window displaying temporary folders and files created by 7-Zip in the user’s Temp folder on a Windows system, allowing easy deletion of these files.
Backward Compatibility and Custom Filters
The new switches -myv={MMNN} and -myfa={FilterID} offer enhanced control over archive creation’s compatibility and filtering methods. They ensure that the archives created are compatible with specified versions of 7-Zip and allow or disallow specific filter methods, providing greater flexibility in managing compressed files.
The changelog provides detailed information about all the novelties and improvements that 7-Zip 24.05 brings.
