Windows - Software - Install 7-Zip

What the 7-Zip deployment Worklet does

This Automox Worklet™ deploys the latest 7-Zip file archiver to Windows endpoints with an unattended silent installation. The Worklet detects 32-bit or 64-bit Windows, scans the Uninstall registry hive for an existing 7-Zip entry, and installs only when the application is missing.

Evaluation enumerates DisplayName values under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and, on 64-bit systems, the matching 32-bit view under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall. When any DisplayName matches the pattern *7-Zip*, the Worklet exits 0 and remediation is skipped. When no match is found, the endpoint is flagged for install.

7-Zip registers with Windows Explorer on install, so users immediately get right-click Extract Here, Add to archive, and Add to <filename>.7z context-menu actions. Supported formats include 7z, ZIP, RAR, TAR, ISO, GZ, BZ2, and XZ, which covers the long tail of archive types that ship in vendor downloads and support bundles.

Why standardize on 7-Zip across Windows endpoints

The built-in Windows compressed-folder handler covers ZIP only, so users who receive a 7z, RAR, or TAR.GZ archive go searching for an extractor. Search results often surface bundled or repackaged installers from third-party download sites, which is a route to unwanted software on the endpoint. A standardized 7-Zip deployment closes that path. Every endpoint gets a trusted open-source archiver registered against .7z, .zip, .tar, .rar, .iso, and dozens of other extensions, which reduces repeat help-desk tickets about opening archives. 7-Zip is licensed under the LGPL with no per-seat cost, so the standard scales to the full fleet.

Bind this Worklet to your standard Windows software policy so the same Uninstall-hive check runs on every endpoint that joins the device group. Results report back through the Automox Activity Log, so a missed install shows up in the next policy run rather than appearing as a user ticket two weeks later.

How 7-Zip installation works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet calls [System.Environment]::Is64BitOperatingSystem to branch on architecture. On 64-bit Windows, it opens the native Registry64 view of HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and enumerates every subkey, then checks HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for 32-bit entries. On 32-bit Windows, it enumerates HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall only. If any DisplayName value matches the pattern *7-Zip*, the Worklet writes "7-Zip is already installed" and exits 0. If no match is found, the Worklet writes "7-Zip was not found" and exits 1 to flag the endpoint for remediation.

2. Remediation phase: The Worklet builds a URL against the Automox software cache at api.automox.com/api/cache with query parameters cmd=downloadLatestVersion, name=7-Zip, os=Windows, and arch=64 (or arch=32 on a 32-bit endpoint), then uses System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile to pull 7-Zip.exe into the script working directory. It runs Start-Process against the installer with -ArgumentList "/S" -Wait so the install completes silently before control returns. After the installer exits, the Worklet removes the staged 7-Zip.exe and exits 0 on success or 1 if the download or install raises an exception.

7-Zip deployment requirements

• Windows 8 or later, including Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2012 R2 and later. The Worklet installs the 64-bit build on 64-bit Windows and the 32-bit build on 32-bit Windows.

• Administrative privileges on the endpoint. The Automox agent runs as SYSTEM by default, which already meets this requirement.

• Outbound HTTPS reachability from the endpoint to api.automox.com so System.Net.WebClient can pull the installer payload from the Automox software cache.

• Roughly 5 MB of free disk space under %ProgramFiles%\7-Zip\ (or %ProgramFiles(x86)%\7-Zip\ on the 32-bit build) for the installed binaries, plus temporary space in the script working directory for the staged 7-Zip.exe payload.

• PowerShell with execution rights for the Automox agent. The Worklet relies on standard built-in modules (Get-ItemProperty, Start-Process, System.Net.WebClient) and does not install third-party modules.

Expected endpoint state after 7-Zip deployment

After a successful remediation, an Uninstall entry with DisplayName "7-Zip <version>" is present under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall (or under the Wow6432Node view on 64-bit Windows running the 32-bit build). 7z.exe and 7zFM.exe land under %ProgramFiles%\7-Zip\, and the 7-Zip shell extension (7-zip.dll) is registered, which exposes Extract Here, Extract to <foldername>, Add to archive, and Add to <name>.7z on the Explorer right-click menu. The endpoint associates .7z, .zip, .tar, .rar, .iso, .gz, .bz2, .xz, and .cab files with the 7-Zip File Manager, so double-clicking an archive opens the GUI rather than failing on an unknown handler.

To validate from the endpoint, run Get-ChildItem HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall | Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object DisplayName -like "*7-Zip*" in PowerShell and confirm the DisplayName and DisplayVersion. To validate from the command line, run "%ProgramFiles%\7-Zip\7z.exe" i, which prints the installed version and codec list. To validate from the Automox console, open the Activity Log for the policy run and confirm exit code 0 for evaluation when the endpoint is compliant or exit code 0 for remediation when the install completes. Subsequent policy runs leave the endpoint untouched once it is compliant; evaluation short-circuits on the first matching Uninstall entry and never re-downloads the installer.