You can use it to archive and compress files using any supported methods you prefer, or to open and extract any compressed file. In Linux, users have multiple ways to extract .tar.gz files – through the terminal and graphical file archivers. When you extract files from a .tar.gz archive, the checksum is automatically verified to detect & handle any potential data corruption. Usually, tar files are more common with Ubuntu (other Linux distros) and macOS users for data archival and backups. However, Windows 10 users may also come across these files, which is a reason to have a way to extract their contents. You’ll want to replace “tarfile” with the path to the tar.gz file that you’re trying to extract.
This command extracts (-x) the file (-f) specified (in this case, filename.tar.gz) to the current directory. Note that this command also works with other common compression formats such as .tar.bz2. From videos to entire software packages, many files are compressed and stored using the .tar.gz format. While extracting a .tar.gz file isn’t quite as easy as unzipping a .zip, it’s still pretty straightforward. However, third-party tools like 7-Zip, WinRAR, or WinZip can help you extract these files.
Open .gz, tar.gz or .tar file using file archiver tool
Then we’ll jump into the step-by-step process of unzipping on both Linux and Windows platforms. Before you move on, I wanted to ask if you would consider supporting my work. As an independent site, producing content takes a lot of work and dedication, and because of those using adblockers and AI, advertising revenue is falling fast. Unlike many other sites, there is no paywall blocking readers here, so you can see why your help is needed.
Unzip .tar.gz from stdin in Linux
Tar.gz has become the standard format used for distributing Linux and open source software since it’s easy to extract on basically any platform that isn’t Windows. It’s important to note that best affiliate software 2022 reviews pricing and demos Microsoft is building native support for TAR, GZ, 7-Zip, RAR, and many other archival formats to File Explorer. If you plan to distribute and store .tar.gz files on your website, Kinsta’s managed hosting services can help make the most of your space.
A .tar.gz file is a tar archive compressed using gzip, hence the extension .tar.gz. Typically, these files contain multiple files and directories in one compressed package, which makes them popular for sharing and storing large amounts of data. Though both .zip and .tar.gz archive and compress files, they do so in different ways. In other words, .zip is a collection of compressed files, while .tar.gz is a compressed collection of files.
Right-click “Command Prompt” from the search result and select “Run as administrator“. You may also be interested in learning about the best WinZip alternatives to compress files. Gzip compression reduces the overall file size, which makes it more efficient for distribution, backup, and storage purposes. Once you’ve done this successfully, you’ll notice that the icon for tar.gz files will change to a 7-Zip icon. Once you’ve selected the right file, you’ll see “7-Zip File Manager” show up in the select app dialog. If you want 7-Zip to always handle tar.gz files in the future, you’re going to want to select the “Always” button at the bottom of the dialog.
Also, its trial version does not have time limitations, and users can still use it even after the trial period has expired, with occasional reminders to purchase the license. Also, we skipped some options that are usually useful to preserve permissions since they are not required on Windows 11. Learn more about the excellent 7-Zip file archiver with a high compression ratio from the official website. Before we start, make sure you have downloaded and installed the 7-Zip software. Firstly, open how to buy bitcoin options an elevated command prompt by search for “cmd” on the Windows 11 or 10 search bar.
How to extract .tar.gz files on Windows 10 and 11
- On Windows 10, to use tar on Linux, you need to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and a distro like Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store.
- The author combines expert insights with user-centric guidance, rigorously researching and testing to ensure you receive trustworthy, easy-to-follow tech guides.
- You may also be interested in learning about the best WinZip alternatives to compress files.
- A “.tar” file is a collection of files compressed into a single file or archive.
- In this example, the user tried to extract the file titled “FILE” from filename.tar.gz.
A file using .tar.gz format is a file that has been created using the Unix-based archival application tar and then compressed using the gzip compression. These files are often referred to as “tarballs.” While you can find them with a double extension (.tar.gz), the extension can also be shortened to .tgz or .gz. This error usually occurs when a .tar has been saved as a .gz despite having never been compressed using the gzip utility. It may sound like a silly mistake, but it’s surprisingly common in situations where users directly rename files and their extensions (such as .tar and .gz) in the process. Though gzip is the most common compression utility, it’s not the only one. As you turnkey forex review should you use this broker might imagine, using a different compression utility on a .tar file will result in a different double extension.
Is .tar.gz same as .zip?
For this guide, we’ll use 7-Zip, a free and open-source file archiver with a high compression ratio. And now you can use the 7-Zip File Manager to open, view, or extract files from tar.gz and other archives. If you want a specific file, you can drill down into the folder, or you can simply click the “Extract” button and choose a location to put all the files. Although tar files are usually more common on Linux distros (for example, Ubuntu) and macOS for backups and archival, you may also come across these files on Windows 11. You could use third-party tools like 7-Zip and PeaZip, but these are not recommended as they don’t always work to extra .tar.gz files.