TAR.BZ to TAR Converter

Convert TAR.BZ 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

or drag and drop files here

Maximum file size is 1GB

Like RunConvert? Set us as a preferred source on Google.

Add to Preferred Sources

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.

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.

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.

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 a TAR.BZ file?

A TAR.BZ file represents a TAR archive compressed using the Bzip compression algorithm, an older predecessor to Bzip2. This format utilizes the Burrows-Wheeler transform followed by Move-to-Front (MTF) transform and Huffman coding to achieve high compression ratios. While functionally similar to .tar.bz2, the .bz extension often denotes the use of the deprecated original bzip tool, which was removed from wide distribution due to patent concerns regarding arithmetic coding, though modern decoders often handle legacy streams.

How to open a TAR.BZ file

Due to the obsolescence of the original bzip algorithm, opening these files requires robust archive managers that maintain legacy support. 7-Zip (Windows) and The Unarchiver (macOS) can handle the decoding. On Linux systems, the bzip2 utility often includes backward compatibility for decompression, typically invoked alongside tar.

TAR.BZ Technical Info

Full Name: Tape Archive compressed with Bzip
Developed By: Julian Seward
Initial Release: 1996
MIME Type: application/x-bzip

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

More tools

Related conversions

TAR.BZ to 7Z

TAR.BZ to RAR

TAR.BZ to TAR.BZ2

TAR.BZ to TAR.GZ

TAR.BZ to ZIP

7Z to TAR

ACE to TAR

ALZ to TAR

Why RunConvert

The fastest way to convert any file

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

Convert TAR.BZ to TAR in seconds

Every TAR.BZ 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 TAR.BZ to TAR via API

Automate TAR.BZ 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": "tar.bz-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.tar.bz

# 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.