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THE FILE FIELD GUIDE
.lzh

LHA / LHarc Archive

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LZH is an LHA/LHarc archive. Legacy filename encodings and compression methods can affect extraction; use a suitable tool and assess any old executables separately.

Main use
Read legacy compressed distributions and data
Data type
Binary data
All sections, questions and sources

Content reviewed： · Editor：Kai

Opening steps

Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.

A LZH-capable extractor such as 7-Zip/WinZip

Preserve the original and inspect a working copy in a compatible application.

  1. Open a copy in a LZH-capable extractor.
  2. Inspect filenames and sizes.
  3. Extract to a new directory.
Inspect the received file and its requirements

Establish dependencies and settings before proceeding.

  1. Check publisher, age and target OS.
  2. Check legacy Japanese-name encoding support.
  3. Distinguish plain LZH from self-extracting EXE.

Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.

Troubleshooting by symptom

  • Built-in extraction fails: inspect LZH/method support.
  • Garbled names: check encoding support.
  • Corruption: compare size/checksum.
  • Extracted app fails: inspect its runtime requirements.

LZH → extracted payload then another archive

  1. Verify extracted contents before rearchiving for compatibility.
  2. Reopen the output and check it against the preservation points in this guide before handoff.

Check names, directories and required attributes before repackaging.

Extraction versus running legacy applications

A successfully extracted legacy program may still be incompatible with the current OS.

Source for these steps：7-Zip · 7-Zip formats and features / WinZip · Other Archive Support / WinZip · About Zip Files and Other Archives

Worked example: checks before handoff

Example: extract legacy documents to a copy, verify names/count and create a new ZIP.

Source for these steps：7-Zip · 7-Zip formats and features / WinZip · Other Archive Support / WinZip · About Zip Files and Other Archives

Related-format differences

Related-format differences
Format / methodPurpose and preserved information
.lzhRead legacy compressed distributions and data
ZIPAnother widely used archive format.
LZH → extracted payload then another archiveCheck names, directories and required attributes before repackaging.

Handling and security

Verify source and need before running legacy executables.

Questions and answers

Related to LHA?

They belong to the same archive family.

Execute as an EXE?

Extract a plain LZH with a suitable tool.

One compression method?

Methods and version support vary.

Format facts: name, steward and MIME type
Formal name
LHA / LHarc Archive
Steward / specification
7-Zip
MIME type
Consult the producer or delivery system. The extension alone does not establish a MIME type.

Primary and official sources