What is a GZ file?
GZ — gzip
Use the format GZ
A concrete example
Retrieve the TAR contained in a .tar.gz file.
Useful checks
A GZ does not necessarily contain a TAR: it can compress a single text file. Check the nature of the content.
Choose a conversion
Keep the original and open the result in the software or on the device that will need to use it.
Your questions about this format
Why did I receive a TAR.GZ file?
Gzip compresses a stream, while TAR groups the files of a folder. The engine therefore combines the two to preserve the contents of a multi-part archive. Open the TAR.GZ with compatible software, then check the extracted files.
Does converting an archive change the documents inside?
The goal is to change their container, not to convert each document. A PDF in an archive remains a PDF. To change its format, extract it and then use the Documents theme.
Will a ZIP archive necessarily be smaller?
No. JPEG photos, videos, or already compressed archives may shrink very little. Compare the size and prioritize especially the format that your recipient knows how to open.
What to do with a protected or damaged archive?
The form does not ask for a password. Unlock your archive locally if you are allowed to, then try again with a copy. If it is damaged, first check that your local software can extract the files; paying does not repair an unreadable archive.
What is it?
Gzip compresses a single file, and only one. It has no way of bundling several files together, which is why it is almost always paired with TAR: TAR assembles the files first, then gzip compresses the resulting bundle.
Its strength is speed. It compresses and decompresses extremely quickly, which makes it the natural companion of web servers: nearly every page you view reaches you compressed this way, without your ever noticing.
History & origin
Gzip was created in 1992 as part of the GNU project, in direct response to a patent that encumbered Unix's standard compression tool.
The response mirrored what happened later with PNG versus GIF: build a free, technically superior replacement and give it to everyone.
Why it is useful
Fast, lightweight, and universal across the Unix world and the web.
Its compression is solid and decoding is almost instantaneous.
Limits & drawbacks
It only handles one file at a time: without TAR, there's no way to archive a folder.
Its compression ratio is now outperformed by xz and other more recent algorithms.
Practical tips
To send a .gz or .tar.gz file to someone on Windows, convert it to ZIP first: it will open with a simple double-click.
Gzip remains unbeatable when speed matters more than compression ratio — a server compressing content on the fly doesn't have time to do better.
Convert your GZ in seconds, on our secure servers in France.
Convert a GZ