Users often ask, "Why is it so hard to add a dark theme to 7-Zip?" The answer lies in the codebase. 7-Zip is written primarily using the Win32 API (the old-school Windows C++ framework), not modern XAML or Qt. In Win32, menus and title bars are drawn by the OS, not the application. For the developer, Igor Pavlov, to implement a custom dark theme, he would have to override Windows' default drawing instructions for every single UI element—a massive undertaking for a single developer maintaining the software for free.
The 7zDark.ini file located in the same folder allows you to customize the colors if you don't like the default. 7zip dark theme
Consequently, the "theme" of 7-Zip is dictated largely by the theme of Windows itself. The developers have not yet rewritten the UI code to support custom rendering, meaning there is no simple toggle in the Tools > Options menu to switch to a dark mode. Users often ask, "Why is it so hard
While classic, this tool works best on older versions of 7-Zip (9.20/19) and can be buggy on modern Windows 11 installations. It patches the 7z.dll rather than replacing the exe . For the developer, Igor Pavlov, to implement a
Result: Your file list, background, and menu bars will turn a deep shade of charcoal or pure black, while keeping the text high-contrast.