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How to Extract Unzip tar.gz Files: Step-by-Step Windows and Linux Guide

how to open tar.gz file on windows

You’ll want to replace “tarfile” with the path to the tar.gz file that you’re trying to extract. For a more detailed explanation on how the tar command works, be sure to read our guide to compressing and extracting files in the Linux Terminal. The tar command is extremely powerful, and you can do things like list or search for files in a tar archive, or extract a single file. 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 11 best ethereum eth wallets for 2021 common compression formats such as .tar.bz2.

Extract .tar.gz, .tgz, .gz tarballs on Windows 11 using tar

As a result, we recommend sticking to free (but trustworthy) tools or simply using the command line. While there are many tools to choose from, the most popular include 7-Zip and WinZip. While slightly different, they are quite lightweight and offer a much simpler alternative to using the command line. You can also add the verbose output option (-v) to provide detailed listings, including dates, securities/permissions, and more. 7-Zip is lightweight and does the job well, though it takes two steps to open tar.gz files.

Also, we skipped some options that are usually useful to preserve permissions since they are not required on  Windows 11. This error occurs if you try to decompress a file without specifying a decompression utility, specifically -z for gzip. In this example, the user tried to extract the file titled “FILE” from filename.tar.gz. However, tar was unable to find FILE within .tar.gz, meaning that the user either misspelled the name or that the file simply doesn’t exist in filename.tar.gz. Another common cause of errors is case sensitivity, where Linux treats “FILE” and “file” as two separate entities. To access the Windows command line, search for “command prompt” or “cmd” in the search bar.

The author combines expert insights with user-centric guidance, rigorously researching and testing to ensure you receive trustworthy, easy-to-follow tech guides. Once you complete the steps, you will have all the files and folders extracted to the destination path you specified after a few moments. This guide will teach you the steps to use native tar commands on Windows 10 from Command Prompt and Ubuntu to extract the content of a .tar.gz file. You can open most .tar.gz files using the tar command built in to Linux, macOS, and Windows 10. If you’re not comfortable with the terminal or command line, third-party tools such as 7-Zip offer a more user-friendly alternative. Some third-party tools also offer extended flexibility for converting between file types‌, saving more time if you want to change between compression formats.

how to open tar.gz file on windows

What’s the difference between .tar and .tar.gz files?

Right-click the first result and select the “Run as administrator” option. You can easily unzip the resulting .tar.gz file with the decompress (-d) option. You can also quickly extract a .tar or .tar.gz file in Windows 11/10 using command line in CMD without the need to install any software. That means users can download and use it for free during a trial period. 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. You can easily extract .tar.gz files using third-party tools like 7 zip and Winrar on the Windows system.

  1. To access the Windows command line, search for “command prompt” or “cmd” in the search bar.
  2. Technical details aside, all you need to remember is that .zip files are more accessible but less space-efficient, while .tar files are less accessible but more space-efficient.
  3. Once you’ve done this successfully, you’ll notice that the icon for tar.gz files will change to a 7-Zip icon.
  4. It’s often useful to list the contents of a .tar.gz file without having to unzip the entire archive.
  5. Note that this command will throw an error unless you specify the exact filename listed in the .tar file.

How to quickly extract .tar.gz files on Windows 10

For sending and storing, both .zip and .tar.gz files allows you to send relatively large how and where to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like bitcoin packages as a single file. However, there are some pretty major differences when it comes to accessing data within the files and the compression efficiency. A “.tar” file is a collection of files compressed into a single file or archive.

As a result, it has become a common file extension for many open-source software packages and other resources. WinRAR is yet another popular file archiver tool widely used by users around the world to compress and uncompress files. You can use it to easily open, view and extract any .gz, tar.gz or .tar file. With the command prompt open, use the appropriate commands to change the current working directory (cd) to the location of the .tar.gz file you want to unzip. Alternatively, you can also specify a source and destination file path when using the tar utility.

A tar file, often called a tarball, is a setting up bitbucket webhook jenkins integration collection of files wrapped up in one single file for easy storage. Rather than keep track of a whole folder of files, you only need to keep track of one. Tar files are often compressed after being created, giving it the .tar.gz file extension. Technically these are TGZ files, but nearly everyone calls both .tar and .tar.gz files simple “tar files.”

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 an elevated command prompt by search for “cmd” on the Windows 11 or 10 search bar. 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.

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