Reference

LZH / LHA

LZH (also called LHA) is an older compressed archive format that bundles and shrinks files, similar to ZIP. It was popular in Japan and on older systems, and remains common in retro software and some Japanese downloads.

Files & formatsGeneral

LZH / LHA

Also known as: LZH file, LHA archive, .lzh, LHarc

Older compressed archive format (LHA/LHarc)
Popular in Japan and on retro systems
Opened by 7-Zip and The Unarchiver

An older ZIP-like archive

LZH packs one or more files into a single compressed archive, much like ZIP. It originated with the LHarc/LHA tools and saw heavy use on early PCs, the Amiga, and especially in Japan.

It has largely been superseded by ZIP and 7z, but you still meet .lzh files in retro-computing scenes and older Japanese software archives.

Opening LZH files

Archive managers such as 7-Zip and The Unarchiver open LZH. After extracting, re-compressing to ZIP or 7z gives you a more widely supported archive.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Files & formatsZIP archiveA ZIP archive bundles one or more files into a single compressed .zip file that is smaller and easier to share. Unzipping it creates a second, full-size copy of the contents — so an archive and its extracted files can both take up space at once.General Files & formats7Z (7-Zip)7z is an open archive format from the free 7-Zip tool, known for a very high compression ratio thanks to LZMA/LZMA2. It typically packs tighter than ZIP, but the recipient needs a 7z-capable app to open it.General Files & formatsArchive fileAn archive file bundles many files and folders into one container — for example a ZIP, RAR, or 7z. Most archives also compress their contents to save space, but some (like plain TAR) only bundle without shrinking anything.General