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LZ to TAR Converter

Convert LZ to TAR online for free. Fast, secure, and high-quality conversion with no sign-up or software required.

Free to useNo file stored beyond 1 hourEncrypted over TLS 1.2/1.3No watermarks

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How it works

Three steps to your converted file

Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.

01

Upload your file

Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.

02

Choose an output format

Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.

03

Convert & download

Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.

What is an LZ file?

The LZ file extension denotes a compressed archive generated by Lzip, a lossless data compressor based on the Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain Algorithm (LZMA). Developed by Antonio Diaz Diaz in 2008 to supersede the raw .lzma format, the LZ format prioritizes data integrity and long-term archival safety over pure speed. It utilizes a stream-based structure consisting of independent 'members,' allowing for the concatenation of files and robust error recovery via tools like lziprecover. Unlike the XZ format, the LZ specification simplifies the header structure while implementing a 4-factor data protection system, utilizing 32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Checks (CRC-32) to verify both header and data stream consistency.

How to open an LZ file

Most modern Windows and macOS configurations lack native kernel-level support for decoding LZ binaries and require third-party compression utilities. On Windows, users should utilize 7-Zip or PeaZip, which integrate the necessary LZMA decompression libraries. macOS users can extract these archives using The Unarchiver or via the command line by installing the lzip package through Homebrew. Linux distributions typically offer native support via the standard lzip command-line utility or through GUI archive managers like File Roller once the lzip package is installed from the repository.

LZ Technical Info

Full Name
Lzip Compressed Archive
Developed By
Antonio Diaz Diaz
Initial Release
2008
MIME Type
application/x-lzip

What is a TAR file?

The TAR (Tape Archive) format is a file format standardized by POSIX.1-1988 and later POSIX.1-2001 (pax), originally developed for writing data to sequential I/O devices like magnetic tape drives. Unlike modern archive formats, TAR is purely a container format that concatenates multiple files into a single archive without native compression, preserving file system attributes such as user/group permissions, dates, and directory structures. It is frequently paired with compression utilities like Gzip or Bzip2 in Unix-like environments.

How to open a TAR file

Most Unix-based systems (Linux, macOS, BSD) include native support via the GNU Tar command-line utility. Windows does not natively support TAR extraction in versions prior to Windows 10 (Build 17063), requiring third-party tools. For cross-platform compatibility, 7-Zip and WinRAR are standard utilities for inspecting and extracting TAR containers.

TAR Technical Info

Full Name
Tape Archive
Developed By
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Initial Release
1979
MIME Type
application/x-tar

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Why RunConvert

The fastest way to convert any file

Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.

Convert LZ to TAR in seconds

Every LZ to TAR conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.

Fast, cloud-powered

No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.

Secure & private

Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.

Free - no account needed

Convert without creating an account - no credit card, no trial clock. Sign in only if you want history and higher daily limits.

Developer API

Convert LZ to TAR via API

Automate LZ to TAR conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.

# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "tag": "lz-to-tar",
    "tasks": {
      "upload-file": {
        "operation": "import/upload"
      },
      "convert": {
        "operation": "convert",
        "input": "upload-file",
        "output_format": "tar"
      },
      "export-result": {
        "operation": "export/url",
        "input": "convert"
      }
    }
  }'

# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.lz

# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.