---
title: ".tar file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .tar file is a Tape Archive. A Unix bundle of files with no compression at all — usually paired with gzip. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/tar/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .tar files

**.tar file: Tape Archive**

A Unix bundle of files with no compression at all — usually paired with gzip.

## What opens a .tar file

- **Windows:** File Explorer (built in, Windows 11), 7-Zip, WinRAR
- **macOS:** Archive Utility (built in), Keka, tar (Terminal)
- **Linux:** Archive Manager / File Roller (built in), Ark, tar

## What a .tar file is

TAR dates from 1979 and does exactly one thing: glue many files into one, preserving Unix permissions and symlinks. It does not compress, which is why you almost always meet it as .tar.gz or .tar.xz, where a separate compressor squeezed the finished bundle. Windows 11 extracts tar archives in File Explorer, and every Mac and Linux system has the tar command built in.

## Converting it

A .tar file is commonly converted to .zip, .7z, .gz or .tgz. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .tar
- **Full name:** Tape Archive
- **Category:** Archives
- **MIME type:** application/x-tar
- **Created by:** Unix / POSIX
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .tar file?

On Windows use File Explorer (built in, Windows 11); on macOS use Archive Utility (built in); on Linux use Archive Manager / File Roller (built in). A Unix bundle of files with no compression at all — usually paired with gzip.

### What is a .tar file?

Tape Archive. TAR dates from 1979 and does exactly one thing: glue many files into one, preserving Unix permissions and symlinks. It does not compress, which is why you almost always meet it as .tar.gz or .tar.xz, where a separate compressor squeezed the finished bundle.

### Can I convert a .tar file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .zip, .7z, .gz or .tgz, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.zip — ZIP Archive](https://atoneplace.net/file/zip/)
- [.rar — RAR Archive](https://atoneplace.net/file/rar/)
- [.7z — 7-Zip Archive](https://atoneplace.net/file/7z/)
- [.gz — Gzip Compressed File](https://atoneplace.net/file/gz/)
- [.tgz — Gzipped Tar Archive](https://atoneplace.net/file/tgz/)
- [.xz — XZ Compressed File](https://atoneplace.net/file/xz/)
- [.bz2 — Bzip2 Compressed File](https://atoneplace.net/file/bz2/)
- [.sfx — Self-Extracting Archive Module](https://atoneplace.net/file/sfx/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)