After the option, you have to specify the path of the tarball file to extract. In the command, we start the path with /mnt/c/ since this is Linux, not Windows. Once you complete the steps, the files and folders will extract to the specified destination. It is assumed that you are extracting a tarball created on another system. We are skipping some arguments usually necessary to preserve permissions, which on Windows 10 are not required to access the files. It’s easy to get confused when navigating between .tar, .tar.gz, and .gz – not to mention zipping and unzipping them.
The following text outlines the process of extracting a .tar.gz file in a Windows environment. 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. Instead, you should be using the native tar support available on Windows 11 or a Linux distro in WSL. Since .tar.gz compresses multiple files all at once, it can take advantage of similarities between individual files to save on space.
- However, third-party tools like 7-Zip, WinRAR, or WinZip can help you extract these files.
- Right-click the first result and select the “Run as administrator” option.
- If you want to keep the original file after compression, there are two options.
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- As you might imagine, using a different compression utility on a .tar file will result in a different double extension.
- Make sure to update the syntax to include the source and destination paths.
Rather, they both accomplish the same task (file compression) in the same way. A “.tar” file is a collection of files compressed into a single file or archive. Short for “Tape ARchive,” the name “TAR” is a throwback to when files were stored on magnetic tape drives. Generally, .tar.gz files are safe and commonly used to compress and archive files on Unix-based systems.
The .gz extension represents the gzip compression format, which can be applied to almost any file format to compress data and save space. As we’ll see later, different compression utilities may require different methods for extracting and unzipping files. Though we’ll mostly focus on .tar.gz files, check out the end of the article for some quick tips on extracting .tar files in other formats.
Convert .tar.gz, .tgz, and .gz Files to Zip
Here are a few frequently asked questions we commonly hear from users working with .tar.gz files. Like the tar utility, gzip also allows you to zip and unzip multiple files or entire directories at a time. It’s often useful to list the contents of a .tar.gz file without having to unzip the entire archive. But with .zip being the easier of the two to use, why use .tar in the first place? As we’ll see in the next section, .tar comes with a few extra features that make it the better compression format for certain files and applications. TAR stands for tarball which contains several files enclosed in a single file.
In other words, .zip is a collection of compressed files, while .tar.gz is a compressed collection of files. Windows 11/10 has native support for tar files that can be extracted using Command Prompt. It also has the Windows Subsystem for Linux which lets you use Linux tools, like tar, to get the contents of tarballs quickly.
In this guide, you will learn the steps to use native tar commands on Windows 11 using Command Prompt and Ubuntu to extract the content of a .tar.gz file. Once you complete the steps, you will have all the files and folders bitcoin now accepted at starbucks whole foods and dozens of other major retailers 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.
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. Since Windows doesn’t natively support .tar.gz files, extracting involves third-party tools or non-native commands.
Here we discuss the steps to use native tar commands on Windows 11/10 using Command Prompt and Ubuntu to extract contents of a .tar.gz file. Before diving into the extraction process, it’s essential to understand what .tar.gz files are. They are compressed files often used for software how to build a calendar app in 2022-2023 complete guide for startups distribution and backup. 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.
The process is simple, but it can take some time if the file is large. Once the conversion is complete, you can extract the contents of your .TGZ, .GZ, or .TAR.GZ file using the default Windows utility. A .tar.gz file, also known as a tarball, intercontinental bakkt spac wall is a compressed archive used in UNIX and Linux systems. This format involves multiple files bundled into a single archive and compressed using gzip compression. While every tar.gz file is a .tar archive, not every .gz is a .tar file.
Is .tar.gz The Same As .zip?
Generally speaking, a collection of files archived and compressed as a .tar.gz will be more space-efficient (i.e., smaller) than the same collection compressed as a .zip. Unpacking .tar.gz files on Windows 10 is a simple process with the right tools. 7-Zip makes it easy and efficient, whether you’re working with software distributions or massive data backups. By following the steps outlined above, you’ll be able to unpack any .tar.gz files that come your way. This can be achieved by using the tar command in the Command Prompt.
In this article, we will explain how to properly unzip and open TGZ, GZ, and TAR.GZ files on your Windows 11/10 computer. Now, you will have all the files and folder extracted to the specified destination. 6] Go to the downloaded files folder and double-click the downloaded ZIP file to open its Extract tab. Now, hit the ‘Extract all’ button to open the window directly below. Alternatively, select one of the offered locations or set one up by clicking the Extract files… option.
As a result, we recommend sticking to free (but trustworthy) tools or simply using the command line. He is an expert Email Forensic, Cloud Computing, and a passionate nerd with over 10 years of experience in technical content writing. He writes about Cloud Migration, Database Recovery, Email Backup, Windows, Mac, and Tech.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years.
Extract .tar.gz, .tgz, .gz tarballs using tar on Linux on Windows 10
The Unzip to…option opens up another window with extra settings. This is an independent site, and producing content takes a lot of hard work. Although more people are reading Pureinfotech, many use adblocker and AI.
In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. If the command line isn’t your thing, there are plenty of user-friendly tools available to unzip tar.gz files. The tar command also provides support for extracting only specific files or directories from a .tar.gz file. Simply add a space-separated list of the files you want to extract. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a 1960s computer technician to use and extract .tar files – nor do modern .tar files even have anything to do with old computers.