tar -xzvf file.txt.gz # extracts file.txt Or using gzip -d if available via third-party tools. .tgz is just a shorthand for .tar.gz . All commands above work identically:
| Tool | Supports .tar.gz | Free | Notes | |------|----------------|------|-------| | | ✅ | Yes | Can create/extract .tar.gz (right-click → 7-Zip → Add to archive → choose tar → then gzip) | | WinRAR | ✅ | Trial (nagware) | Handles .tar.gz natively | | PeaZip | ✅ | Yes | Open source, many formats | | Bandizip | ✅ | Free (basic) | Fast and clean UI | windows tar gzip
However, , Microsoft integrated native tar and gzip support directly into the command line. This guide covers both the native Windows tools and common alternatives. 1. Understanding Tar and Gzip Before diving into commands, it's important to distinguish the two: tar -xzvf file
Would you like examples for automating tar/gzip with batch scripts or PowerShell? This guide covers both the native Windows tools
tar bundles files/folders preserving structure, then gzip compresses that bundle. This is why you often see .tar.gz — it's a tar archive that has been gzip -compressed. 2. Native Windows Tar Command (Built-in) Check if you have it Open Command Prompt , PowerShell , or Windows Terminal and type:
| Tool | Purpose | File Extension | Compression | Speed | |------|---------|----------------|--------------|-------| | tar | Archives multiple files into one (no compression) | .tar | None | Instant | | gzip | Compresses a single file | .gz | Good | Fast | | tar + gzip | Archive + compress together | .tar.gz or .tgz | Good | Fast |