TAR.Z to ZIP Converter

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

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Maximum file size is 1GB

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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.

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.z file?

The tar.z extension (often shortened to .taz) denotes a TAR archive compressed using the legacy Unix compress utility. This format relies on the Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) adaptive compression algorithm. Historically significant in early Unix System V environments, it predates the DEFLATE algorithm used in gzip. Due to the patent encumbrances on LZW (Unisys) in the 1990s and lower compression efficiency compared to modern standards, it is technically obsolete but remains in legacy repository archives.

How to open a tar.z file

While the format is deprecated, most Unix-like systems (Linux, BSD, macOS) retain backward compatibility via the uncompress utility or gunzip, which can detect and decompress LZW streams (command: zcat file.tar.z | tar -xvf -). On Windows, 7-Zip provides robust support for opening legacy Z-compressed archives, as does the multi-format archiver IzArc.

tar.z Technical Info

Full Name: Tape Archive + Unix Compress
Developed By: Spencer Thomas (LZW implementation)
Initial Release: 1984
MIME Type: application/x-compress

What is a ZIP file?

The ZIP format is an archive file format capable of lossless data compression, originally created by Phil Katz of PKWARE. It utilizes a Central Directory structure to catalog files and supports various compression algorithms, most notably DEFLATE (RFC 1951). The format is standardized under ISO/IEC 21320-1:2015 as a document container file and serves as the base structure for modern file types like .docx and .jar.

How to open a ZIP file

The ZIP format enjoys universal native support across all major operating systems, including Windows (File Explorer), macOS (Archive Utility), and Linux. No third-party software is strictly required for basic extraction, though power users often employ tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR to access advanced features like AES-256 encryption or multi-volume spanning.

ZIP Technical Info

Full Name: ZIP Archive
Developed By: Phil Katz (PKWARE)
Initial Release: 1989
MIME Type: application/zip

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Convert TAR.Z to ZIP in seconds

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

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

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Developer API

Convert TAR.Z to ZIP via API

Automate TAR.Z to ZIP 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.z-to-zip",
    "tasks": {
      "upload-file": {
        "operation": "import/upload"
      },
      "convert": {
        "operation": "convert",
        "input": "upload-file",
        "output_format": "zip"
      },
      "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.z

# 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.