TAR Extractor
Open a .tar or .tar.gz archive, browse its contents, and extract selected files.
What is TAR Extractor?
A TAR reader that handles plain .tar and gzipped .tar.gz / .tgz archives, listing every entry before you extract anything.
How it works
The 512-byte headers are parsed directly — GNU long-name blocks included — and each header's checksum is verified, so a corrupt or mis-typed file is reported instead of producing junk. Extracting a single file downloads it as-is; extracting several packs them into a .zip.
- Add your files. Drop files (or a whole folder) onto the drop zone. Browsers hand the contents straight to the page, so nothing is uploaded.
- Choose the options. Pick the format, compression, naming rule or split size. Any change re-computes the preview immediately.
- Download the result. Run the tool and grab the archive, the extracted files or the report. Multi-file results come back as a single .zip.
Examples
A 240 MB photo folder → a 52 MB .zip
JPEGs are already compressed, so the archive only saves 10–15% — but adding the folder structure and a manifest makes the upload verifiable.
A download cut off at 1.4 GB
The File Splitter cuts it into 500 MB chunks that fit the host's limit, and the File Joiner reassembles them, refusing any set with a missing part.
A release bundle with checksums
The Manifest Generator writes sha256sum-style lines next to the files, so the recipient can prove the download arrived intact.
Common mistakes
Expecting ZIP to shrink photos, video or audio
Those formats are already compressed; deflate typically saves single digits on them. ZIP is at its best on text, JSON, CSV, logs and source code.
Treating ZipCrypto as real encryption
Traditional ZIP encryption is legacy and breakable. It stops casual snooping only — for secrets, encrypt the contents with AES-256 first.
Renaming extensions to convert a file
Changing .png to .jpg does not change the bytes inside. Some programs will refuse the file, or display garbage. Use a real converter when the format must change.
Splitting without keeping the suffixes
The parts carry .001, .002 … suffixes on purpose: the joiner orders them by number and fails loudly when one is missing, instead of producing a corrupt file.
Frequently asked questions
Does it support .tar.bz2 or .tar.xz?
No — this build unwraps tar and gzip only. Bzip2 and xz are not exposed by the browser's compression APIs, so those archives are flagged rather than half-read.
Are file permissions restored?
The mode recorded in each header is shown in the listing and kept when you repack through the Archive Format Converter. A browser cannot chmod a download, so the saved file gets your system's defaults.
Why is a multi-file extraction delivered as a .zip?
A browser can only download one blob at a time to its Downloads folder, and cannot create folders. Packing the selection into a .zip keeps the paths intact in one step.