TAR.Z.tar.Z · .taz

How to Extract Files from a TAR.Z Archive on macOS

TAR.Z files are TAR archives compressed with the original Unix compress utility. While the format is largely obsolete (replaced by .tar.gz and .tar.xz), you may encounter TAR.Z files in legacy Unix archives, old FTP mirrors, and historical software distributions.

The default way to open TAR.Z files on macOS

Tool: Terminal (built-in)

$ uncompress -c archive.tar.Z | tar xf -

Steps

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Run: uncompress -c archive.tar.Z | tar xf -
  3. Alternatively: tar xZf archive.tar.Z (on systems where tar supports -Z).
Note: The uncompress command is available on macOS. Pipe to tar for extraction.

Extract individual files from a TAR.Z archive

The default macOS tools extract everything — there's no way to pick individual files. MacPacker lets you browse TAR.Z archive contents, preview files, and extract only what you need — without unpacking the entire archive.

A better way: open TAR.Z files with MacPacker

MacPacker is a free, open-source macOS archive manager that supports TAR.Z and 30+ other formats. Unlike the default tools, MacPacker lets you:

  • Browse archive contents like a folder
  • Preview files with Quick Look without extracting
  • Extract individual files via drag and drop
  • Navigate nested archives (archives within archives)
  • Enjoy a native SwiftUI interface that feels right at home on macOS

Get MacPacker

v0.15.1 · macOS 14+
$ brew install --cask macpacker
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App Store updates may lag a few days behind direct downloads due to Apple review.

Frequently asked questions

How do I extract a TAR.Z file on Mac?

Open Terminal and run: uncompress -c archive.tar.Z | tar xf — this decompresses and extracts in one step. MacPacker can also open TAR.Z files directly.

Related formats

TAR.tar

TAR (tape archive) bundles files without compression. Often combined with GZ, BZ2, or XZ for compressed archives. Natively supported via Terminal on macOS.

GZ.gz

Gzip is the most common compression format on Unix/macOS. Usually wraps a TAR archive to create .tar.gz files. Natively supported on macOS.

Z.Z

The original Unix compress format. Largely superseded by Gzip but still found in legacy systems and old archives.