AQZ File

What are AQZ files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an AQZ file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your AQZ files.

What is an AQZ file?

An .AQZ file is an Ancestral Quest Family Tree Database file.

An Ancestral Quest Family Tree Database (.AQZ) file is a backup archive created by Ancestral Quest, a genealogy software made by Incline Software, LC. Its purpose is to save a copy of your family tree database - including names, dates, places, notes, sources, and any multimedia attachments you have added - for safekeeping or restoring later. It is not the working database you edit daily but an archived version you can restore from if something happens to your live database.

When you choose the Backup command within Ancestral Quest, the program produces an .AQZ file. To get your data back, you use the Restore feature in the same program. Backup files in the .AQZ form are interchangeable between the Windows and Mac versions of Ancestral Quest. They are especially useful for migrating between computers or recovering your trees after corruption or hardware failure.

Technically, an .AQZ file is a compressed (zipped) version of the database. It starts with the typical ZIP file signature (bytes "PK" at offset 0) and also includes internal identifiers like ".AQPK."

How to open AQZ files

We have identified one AQZ opener that is compatible with this specific type of AQZ file.

Programs that open Ancestral Quest Family Tree Database files

Last updated: August 5, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of AQZ files. Remember, different programs may use AQZ files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about AQZ file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.