While not common in the Windows ecosystem, you might encounter TGZ files (which stands for “Tar Gzipped“) from time to time. This is especially true when downloading Unix or Linux system server backup files, open-source cross-platform applications, large databases, application source code, etc. The TGZ (*.tgz) format is popular in these contexts due to its excellent compression and ability to preserve file permissions.
Although this file format is unfamiliar to most Windows users, you can extract TGZ files in Windows quite easily using native options or third-party applications such as 7-Zip. In this tutorial, I will show the step-by-step procedure for opening and extracting TGZ files in Windows 11 and Windows 10. These methods will help you work confidently with TGZ files. Let’s begin.
How to Extract a TGZ File in Windows 11
Windows 11 (version 23H2 and higher) natively supports many archive formats including TGZ. That means you can treat TGZ files just like any other ZIP file to open and extract them. To extract a TGZ file in Windows 11, follow these simple steps:
- Open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E.
- Find and right-click on the TGZ file.
- Select the Extract All option in the context menu.
- Click Extract in the “Extract Archive” dialog box.
- That’s it, the TGZ file is extracted to a new folder in the same directory and the extracted folder opens automatically in a new File Explorer window.
Source: Microsoft’s official announcement on Windows 11’s support for additional archive formats
How to Extract a TGZ File Using 7-Zip (Works in Windows 10 & Windows 11)
If you are using an older version of Windows 11 (less than v23H2) or Windows 10, then your system doesn’t have native support. That means you have to use a third-party archive application such as 7-Zip to extract TGZ files. The good thing is that 7-Zip is a free and open-source application that supports a wide range of archive formats including TGZ. Here’s how to use it:
Before You Start
- You need administrative rights to install 7-Zip on Windows.
- Download the 7-Zip executable (64-bit or 32-bit Windows version, .exe file) from the official website.
- Double-click on the downloaded EXE file and follow the on-screen wizard to install 7-Zip.
Steps to Extract TGZ File Using 7-Zip
- Open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E.
- Find and right-click on the TGZ file.
- Windows 11 users select Show more options (if necessary).
- Select the 7-Zip > Extract Files option in the context menu.
- Click the OK button.
- That’s it, the TGZ file is extracted to the same directory.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
Open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E. Next, locate the TGZ file you want to extract.
Right-click on the TGZ file. If you’re using Windows 11, select Show more options to open the extended context menu. In the menu that appears, choose 7-Zip > Extract Files.
In the “Extract” dialog, make sure the folder field checkbox is selected and click the OK button.
Note: If you want, you can change where the file is extracted by clicking the Browse (three dots) button next to the top field and selecting a folder of your choice.
As soon as you do that, the TGZ file is extracted to a new folder with the same name as the archive file in the same directory. You can now access your extracted files in this new folder.
Wrapping Up — Opening and Extracting TGZ Files in Windows
As you can see, although the TGZ file format is not common for Windows users, it’s fairly simple to open and extract TGZ files. This is thanks to native support in recent Windows 11 versions and programs like 7-Zip. For command line freaks out there, you can also unzip archive files like TGZ, TAR, TAR.GZ, etc., using Command Prompt.
If you have any questions or need help, feel free to comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
