How to extract .tar.gz files on Windows 10 and 11

Extracting .tar.gz files on Windows 10 is not a daunting task. You don’t need extensive technical skills to get the job done. In this article, we’ll show you a simple and straightforward method to open these compressed files. Our key phrase for today is how to extract .tar.gz files on Windows 10.

If you are using a desktop computer or laptop running Windows 11 you’ll be pleased to know that Windows 11 includes native support to extract .tar.gz files using Command Prompt without needing third-party tools. This can be achieved by using the tar command in the Command Prompt. You can also use a Linux distro through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to quickly extract these files if desired.

Before diving into the extraction process, it’s essential to understand what .tar.gz files are. They are compressed files often used for software 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 native Windows 10 software doesn’t support .tar.gz files. However, third-party tools like 7-Zip, WinRAR, or WinZip can help you extract these files. For this guide, we’ll use 7-Zip, a free and open-source file archiver with a high compression ratio.

How to extract .tar.gz files on Windows 10 and 11

Before we start, make sure you have downloaded and installed the 7-Zip software. If you haven’t, you can download it from the official 7-Zip website.

1: Locate your .tar.gz File
Open the directory where your .tar.gz file is stored. This might be your Downloads folder, Documents folder, or any other location on your computer.

2: Right-click on the .tar.gz File
Once you’ve located the .tar.gz file, right-click on it. This will open a context menu with several options.

3: Select 7-Zip from the context menu
In the context menu, look for the 7-Zip option and hover over it. A new submenu will appear with more options.

4: Extract the files
In the 7-Zip submenu, click on ‘Extract Here’ or ‘Extract to “file_name/”‘. The first option will extract the files in the current directory, while the second option will create a new directory with the same name as the .tar.gz file and extract the files there.

5: Access your extracted files
After the extraction process is complete, you can access your files. If you chose to extract the files in the current directory, they would be located there. If you selected to extract to a new directory, you would find your files in the new directory named after the .tar.gz file.

To summarize, here are the steps on how to extract .tar.gz files on Windows 10:

Locate your .tar.gz file on your computer.
Right-click on the .tar.gz file to open the context menu.
From the context menu, select 7-Zip and then choose either ‘Extract Here’ or ‘Extract to “file_name/”‘.
After the extraction process is complete, access your extracted files in the directory where you chose to extract them.

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.

How to extract .tar.gz files on Windows 11

Here are the steps to extract .tar.gz files on Windows 11 using tar:

Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to use tar to extract the files and press Enter:
” tar -xvzf C:/path/to/filename.tar.gz -C C:/path/to/folder/extraction “

In the command, replace C:/path/to/filename.tar.gz with the path to your .tar.gz file and C:/path/to/folder/extraction with the path to the folder where you want the files to be extracted.

How to create a .tar.gz file on Windows

Download and install 7-Zip on your Windows computer.
Select the files you want to include in the .tar.gz file.
Right-click on the selected files and hover over “7-Zip” in the context menu that appears.
Select “Add to archive…” to open the “Add to Archive” dialog box.
In the “Archive format” section, select “Tar”.
In the “Compression method” section, select “Gzip”.
In the “Archive name” section, enter a name for the .tar.gz file.
Click “OK” to create the .tar.gz file.

How to add files to an existing .tar.gz archive on Windows

Open 7-Zip.
Navigate to the folder where the .tar.gz file is located.
Right-click on the .tar.gz file and hover over “7-Zip” in the context menu that appears.
Select “Open archive” to open the .tar.gz file in 7-Zip.
In the 7-Zip window, navigate to the folder where you want to add files.
Drag and drop the files you want to add into the 7-Zip window.
Click “Yes” when prompted to update the archive.
Close 7-Zip.

Learn more about the excellent 7-Zip file archiver with a high compression ratio from the official website.

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