File extension GZ
| File type | GZIP Compressed Archive Format |
| Developer | The GNU Project |
| Ads |
What is a GZ file?
File with a .GZ extension contains a compressed archive of one or many files. GZ files are compressed with the GNU ZIP algorithm and they are utilised by Unix type systems. If the extension contains also a .tar.gz or .tgz extension, the file is compressed with a TAR package – tarball. In such situation, first, it has to be decompressed and then extended with a TAR tool or the access has to be acquired.
GZ archive is created with the GZIP tool, which is a standard element of most of Unix systems. GZ files are also utilised by many other Windows, Mac or Linux tools, however, they are not of the same format or same algorithm as the ones used in ZIP compression.
Program(s) that can open the .GZ file
How to open GZ files
If you cannot open the GZ file on your computer - there may be several reasons. The first and most important reason (the most common) is the lack of a suitable software that supports GZ among those that are installed on your device.
A very simple way to solve this problem is to find and download the appropriate application. The first part of the task has already been done – the software supporting the GZ file can be found in the table. Now just download and install the appropriate application.
Possible problems with the GZ format files
The inability to open and operate the GZ file does not necessarily mean that you do not have an appropriate software installed on your computer. There may be other problems that also block our ability to operate the GZIP Compressed Archive Format file. Below is a list of possible problems.
- Corruption of a GZ file which is being opened
- Incorrect links to the GZ file in registry entries.
- Accidental deletion of the description of the GZ from the Windows registry
- Incomplete installation of an application that supports the GZ format
- The GZ file which is being opened is infected with an undesirable malware.
- The computer does not have enough hardware resources to cope with the opening of the GZ file.
- Drivers of equipment used by the computer to open a GZ file are out of date.
If you are sure that all of these reasons do not exist in your case (or have already been eliminated), the GZ file should operate with your programs without any problem. If the problem with the GZ file has not been solved, it may be due to the fact that in this case there is also another rare problem with the GZ file. In this case, the only you can do is to ask for assistance of a professional staff.
Similar extensions
| .a00 | Split Multi-volume ARJ Compressed File Archive (part 2) |
| .a01 | Split Multi-volume ARJ Compressed File Archive (part 3) |
| .a02 | Split Multi-volume ARJ Compressed File Archive (part 4) |
| .ace | WinACE Compressed Ace Archive Format |
| .alz | ALZip Compressed Format |
| .ar | Linux/Unix Command Library Format |
| .arc | ARC Lossless Data Compression And Archive Format |
| .arj | ARJ Compressed Archive Format |
How to associate the file with an installed software?
If you want to associate a file with a new program (e.g. my-file.GZ) you have two ways to do it. The first and the easiest one is to right-click on the selected GZ file. From the drop-down menu select "Choose default program", then click "Browse" and find the desired program. The whole operation must be confirmed by clicking OK. The second and more difficult to do is associate the GZ file extension to the corresponding software in the Windows Registry.
Is there one way to open unknown files?
Many files contain only simple text data. It is possible that while opening unknown files (e.g. GZ) with a simple text editor like Windows Notepad will allow us to see some of the data encoded in the file. This method allows you to preview the contents of many files, but probably not in such a structure as a program dedicated to support them.