Missing Explorer menu options for 7-Zip

You are probably using the 32bit version on a 64bit OS. Uninstall it and install the 64bit version. I have done this several times and that solution works for me.

First you need to start 7-zip "as administrator" the first time you run it to assign the context-menu option. Otherwise 7-zip does not have the right to change anything. (I don't know why 7-zip does not do this during install when it already has admin-rights but i always need to do this after installing 7-zip)

Then go to Extra / Options. In the first tab (System) you can choose what files you want 7-zip to associate with and in the second tab (7-zip) you can choose the context-menu option (first checkbox).

If you're using the correct bitness of 7zip and have the correct settings set but it still doesn't work, then it may be that the wrong Explorer shell extension is enabled.

It turns out that even with 64bit 7zip installed you can end up with 32bit shell extension enabled, possibly a hangover from previous 32-bit install.

To fix this:

• Download and unzip ShellExView (x64 version) from the NirSoft website
• Run it and make sure Options->Show 32-bit Shell Extensions is ticked
• Sort by Description column and look for 7-Zip Shell Extension

• If you find 7-zip Context Menu extension and the Filename column shows 7-zip32.dll and it is enabled, then you should right-click and Disable selected items

• Then untick Options->Show 32-bit Shell Extensions and find the 7-zip Context Menu extension again (filename should be 7-zip.dll) and enable it, this is the 64-bit one.

• Then close all explorer windows, click Options->Restart Explorer and then open a new folder window and right click on a zip file
• Assuming the 7-zip settings and associations are set up, the context menu should now show!

This was the only thing that worked for me. Even using the 64-bit version of 7-zip, and running the installer as admin, and running 7zip as admin & changing the settings, it still didn't work until I did this.