.TAR.ZIP File Extension

Zipped Tar Archive

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What is a TAR.ZIP file?

A TAR.ZIP file is a Unix Tape Archive (.TAR file) compressed with the Zip algorithm. It contains one or more files packaged together to reduce their size, making them easier to store or transfer. Various utilities may compress TAR files as TAR.ZIP files, but users may also compress TAR archives as .ZIP files and then manually rename them from .zip to .tar.zip.

More Information

Screenshot of a .tar.zip file in Microsoft File Explorer
TAR.ZIP file open in Microsoft File Explorer

AT&T Bell Laboratories developed the TAR archive format in 1979. TAR files typically contain multiple files packaged together for easier storage and sharing, including storing a library of digital photographs or distributing software packages.

However, TAR files are not compressed. To reduce the size of TAR archives, users can choose from various compression algorithms, such as GNU Zip (gzip) or Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain Algorithm (LZMA), that result in .TAR.GZ and .TAR.LZMA files. Additionally, compressing a TAR archive with the Zip algorithm may result in a TAR.ZIP file or ZIP file.

How to open a TAR.ZIP file

You can open TAR.ZIP files with various compression utilities. For example, you can open the files with Microsoft File Explorer and Apple Archive Utility, which come bundled with Windows and macOS, respectively, by double-clicking them.

You can also open TAR.ZIP files with other compression apps, such as Corel WinZip (Windows), Corel WinZip Mac (macOS), RARLAB WinRAR (Windows), and 7-Zip (Windows).

How to convert a TAR.ZIP file

Various compression utilities, including ConeXware PowerArchiver, 7-Zip, and Corel WinZip, can convert TAR.ZIP files by extracting their contents and then compressing them into a different archive format.

For example, the Windows version of PowerArchiver can extract the contents of a TAR.ZIP file, and then compress them into other types of archives, including the following formats:

  • .7Z - 7-Zip Compressed File
  • .CAB - Windows Cabinet File
  • .LZH - LZH Compressed File
  • .RAR - WinRAR Compressed Archive
  • .BH - BlakHole Archive
  • .PA - PowerArchiver Compressed File
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Programs that open TAR.ZIP files

Verified by FileInfo.com

The FileInfo.com team has independently researched the Zipped Tar Archive file format and Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS apps listed on this page. Our goal is 100% accuracy and we only publish information about file types that we have verified.

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