Automated Archive Conversion: 7z to ZIP Format PowerShell Script

Wesley EllisNov 30, 2024

Introduction

Managing different archive formats can be challenging when working with various systems and applications. This PowerShell script automates the process of converting 7z archives to the more widely compatible ZIP format, making file sharing and system compatibility easier to manage.

The Script

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Converts .7z archives to .zip format
.DESCRIPTION
    Automatically processes all .7z files in the current directory,
    converting them to ZIP format while preserving the original file structure
#>

# Get all .7z files in current directory
Get-ChildItem -Filter *.7z | ForEach-Object {
    Write-Host "Processing archive: $($_.Name)" -ForegroundColor Cyan

    # Create temporary extraction path
    $extractionPath = "$($_.BaseName) contents"

    # Extract the 7z archive
    & "$env:ProgramFiles\7-Zip\7z.exe" x "$($_.FullName)" -o"$extractionPath"

    # Change to extraction directory
    Set-Location $extractionPath

    # Create new ZIP archive
    & "$env:ProgramFiles\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -tzip "..\$($_.BaseName).zip" *

    # Return to original directory
    Set-Location ..

    # Clean up temporary files
    Remove-Item $_.FullName, "$extractionPath" -Recurse -Force

    Write-Host "Successfully converted: $($_.Name) to $($_.BaseName).zip" -ForegroundColor Green
    Write-Host "Temporary files cleaned up" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host "-----------------------------------------" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
}

Write-Host "`nConversion process completed!" -ForegroundColor Cyan

How It Works

This script performs archive conversion through several steps:

File Detection: Scans the current directory for .7z files
Extraction: Creates a temporary directory and extracts the 7z contents
Conversion: Creates a new ZIP archive from the extracted files
Cleanup: Removes the original 7z file and temporary extraction directory
Progress Tracking: Provides color-coded status updates throughout the process

Conclusion

This script is invaluable for system administrators and users who need to convert multiple 7z archives to the more universally compatible ZIP format. It automates what would otherwise be a time-consuming manual process, while providing clear feedback about the conversion progress.

Remember to ensure 7-Zip is installed in the default location before running this script, and always maintain backups of important archives before conversion.