.LOG.GZ File Extension

Minecraft servers automatically create LOG.GZ files when rotating log files. As the current log grows, the server archives older logs by compressing them and saving them with the .log.gz extension, often using filenames that include the date and time of creation.

Server administrators, plugin developers, and other users review these archived logs to investigate crashes, troubleshoot configuration problems, monitor player activity, or examine past server events. Since the files are compressed, they require less disk space than uncompressed log files while preserving the original text.

NOTE: Although LOG.GZ files are commonly associated with Minecraft servers, the .LOG.GZ extension simply indicates a Gzip-compressed log file. Other applications and operating systems may also use the .log.gz extension to store archived log files.

You can open LOG.GZ files by decompressing them with a program that supports Gzip archives, such as 7-Zip, RARLAB WinRAR, PeaZip, Apple Archive Utility, or the gzip command on Linux and other Unix-like systems. Once extracted, you can view the resulting LOG file with any text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad, Microsoft Visual Studio Code, or Apple TextEdit.