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How to Use Free Online TAR.GZ Extractor - Step by Step Guide

Step 1

Select Your TAR.GZ File

Choose the TAR.GZ archive you want to extract. TAR.GZ combines TAR archiving with GZIP compression:

•
Upload from computer: Click "Upload" and pick your .tar.gz or .tgz file (a plain .tar works too)
•
Paste compressed data: Paste the Base64 text of a .tar.gz file, for example from an API response or a log
•
Test with sample: Click "Sample" to open a small archive with three files

Example: Common TAR.GZ Use Cases

TAR.GZ files are commonly used for:

→
Software distributions: Linux packages, source code archives
→
Backups: System backups, database dumps, configuration files
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File transfers: Multiple files compressed into single archive
Step 2

Extract the Archive

The tool automatically ungzips and untars your archive in two steps:

•
GZIP decompression: Removes the .gz compression layer using DEFLATE algorithm
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TAR reading: Reads each entry, including long names stored in GNU and PAX headers
•
No server upload: All processing happens locally in your browser for privacy
•
File list: Every file, folder and link is listed with its size, and names like ../../x are shown as written so nothing is hidden

Example: The Sample Archive

Clicking Sample shows this list:

3 files, 3 folders · 104 bytes unpacked
my-app/
my-app/README.md · 33 bytes
my-app/config/
my-app/config/settings.json · 37 bytes
my-app/src/
my-app/src/index.js · 34 bytes
Step 3

Save Single Files or the Whole Archive

Pick what you want to keep:

•
One file: Click the download icon next to it. It is saved under its own name, without the folder path
•
Whole archive: "Download .tar" saves the unpacked TAR, byte for byte, named after your upload
•
File list: "Copy" puts the list of names and sizes on your clipboard

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I extract a .tar.gz file online?

Click Upload and pick your .tar.gz or .tgz file, or paste its Base64 text. The page unpacks the GZIP layer, reads the TAR archive and lists every file, folder and link inside it. Each file has its own download button, and "Download .tar" saves the whole unpacked archive.

What's the difference between .tar.gz and .tgz files?

None. .tgz is just the short extension for a .tar.gz file: a TAR archive compressed with GZIP. This page opens both, and a plain uncompressed .tar as well.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. The archive is unpacked by JavaScript in your browser tab, and the files you save come straight from that tab. Nothing is sent to a server.

Will the files I save be exactly the same as the ones in the archive?

Yes, byte for byte, whether they are text, images or binaries. What a browser download cannot keep are the extras tar stores alongside a file: permissions, owner and timestamps. Symbolic and hard links are listed with their target but are not saved as files.

What happens with file names like ../../evil or /etc/passwd?

They are shown exactly as the archive spells them, so you can see if something looks wrong. When you save such a file, only the last part of the name is used (evil, passwd), and your browser asks where to put it, so an archive cannot write outside the folder you choose.

Can I extract large TAR.GZ files?

Up to about 512 MB once unpacked. Everything is held in your browser tab, so on a phone the real limit is often lower. For anything bigger, tar -xzf archive.tar.gz on your computer is the better choice.

Why does it say my archive is cut off or not a TAR archive?

Cut off means the data ends before the archive does, usually because only part of the file was copied or downloaded; files listed before that point are still fine to save. "Not a TAR archive" means the GZIP data holds a single file rather than an archive. For that, use GZIP Decompression instead.

Got a single gzipped file rather than an archive? Use GZIP Decompression. To make a .gz yourself, try GZIP Compression.

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