How to Extract or Open .tar.gz, .tgz or .gz Files on Windows 10

In receiving files online, we can get various types of file formats. Some of these files have common extensions, while others have unfamiliar ones, such as the TGZ files.

If you come across a file using tar.gz, .tgz, or .gz, you are looking at a TGZ compressed file. Similar to ZIP files, TGZ may contain several files that you need to extract to open and view. These files are also called tarballs and used on Unix and Mac.

Still, even if you are using Windows 10 and receive a TGZ file compression, you don’t need a Mac or Ubuntu to extract the files and view them. There are also ways on how you can open the TGZ archives on your Windows 10 PC.

How to Open or Unpack a Tar GZ File in Windows 10 Computer?

Method #1 – Unzip the File Through WinZip

1. After receiving a tar.gz, .tgz, or .gz file, save it on any location on your computer.
2. Click the Start menu and access WinZip.
3. Go to File.
4. Click Open.
5. Select the TGZ file.
6. Select 1-click Unzip.
7. Go to the Unzip/Share tab.
8. Click Unzip to PC or Cloud.
9. Select the destination where you want to save the extracted files.
10. Click Unzip.
11. Go to the designated location.
12. Double-click the files to open them.

Method #2 – Open the Files Via the Command Prompt

1. Save the TGZ file to any desired location on your computer. Take note of the folder destination or copy the file location path.
2. Click the Start button.
3. Go to the Command Prompt.
4. Right-click on it and select Run as Administrator.
5. On the command prompt, type the following but replacing C:\PATH\TO\FILE\FILE-NAME.tar.gz to the file location path of the TGZ file and C:\PATH\TO\FOLDER\EXTRACTION to where you want to save the extracted file:tar -xvzf C:\PATH\TO\FILE\FILE-NAME.tar.gz -C C:\PATH\TO\FOLDER\EXTRACTION

Method #3 – Convert the TGZ File to a ZIP Format

Another way is to convert the tar.gz, .tgz, or .gz file into a ZIP file for faster file extraction. However, you will need to use a TGZ converter tool. There are available TGZ converter tools online that you can use. After converting the TGZ file, you can download the ZIP file and convert it on your PC.

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