How to Unzip TGZ Files

This minHour teaches you how to extract files from a .TGZ archive in Windows or macOS.

Windows

Go to http://www.7-zip.org/download.html in a web browser.

7-Zip is a free utility that can quickly decompress TGZ files.

Click Download next to the correct version.

It’s a good idea to download a .exe file of the most recent version (that isn’t a beta). Be sure to click the link next to the right version of Windows (32-bit or 64-bit).

Double-click the file you downloaded.

This opens the 7-Zip installer.

Click Install.

7-Zip will now install on your computer. Once the installation is complete, move to the next step.

Right-click the .tgz file.

A menu will appear.

Navigate to the 7-Zip menu.

An additional menu will expand.

Click Extract to (Folder Name).

This tells 7-Zip to create a new folder (named after the .tgz file) in the current directory. The contents of the file will now extract to the selected location.

  • If the only file that appears ends in .TAR, double-click it to extract the remaining files.
  • To select a different location, choose Extract Files… instead, then choose a location.

macOS

Open Finder.

It’s the two-toned smiling face on the Dock, which is usually at the bottom of the screen.

Navigate to the TGZ file.

If you downloaded it from the internet, it may be located in your Downloads folder.

Double-click the TGZ file.

Depending on how the file was zipped, this may be all you need to do. If the only file that extracted ends with “.tar,” you’ll need to extract that as well.

Double-click the TAR file.

All files are now extracted from the TGZ.

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