7-Zip's remit is simple: it compresses and decompresses files. With hard drives and SSDs now larger and cheaper than ever, you might well wonder just why such tools are still needed. Two key reasons are the internet (compressing files means they can be sent and received faster) and security (compressed files can be encrypted and password-protected).You can also make self-extracting compressed archives that you can send to others without having to worry about what software they have installed.Whether you're looking to save space, secure data, or just back up your important data in an efficient manner, 7-Zip has all the bases covered. User experience7-Zip can be used in two ways. The first option is to fire up the main program window and work with compressed files through the file manager.