GZ File - opening and understanding
Did your computer fail to open a GZ file? We explain what they are used for and recommend software that we know can open or otherwise handle your .GZ files.
What is a GZ file?
A .GZ file is a GZip Compressed Data file. The .gz file extension is given to Gnu Zipped file archives. The Gnu Project developed this file format for use on Unix operating systems to compress large files. For example, if you have a file that you would like to send via email, the GZ file format would allow you to compress it into a much smaller file.
GZ archive files are compressed using the GNU (Gzip) compression algorithm. The .gz files can contain one file only. If you want to include multiple files in a GZ file, you first need to "combine" them using an archive tool like TAR. That will create a .tar.gz or .tgz file.
You can open GZ files on both Mac and Windows operating systems. You can also open them on computers that are running Linux.
How to open GZ files
You will need a program compatible with the specific file you are trying to open, as different programs may use files with file extension GZ for different purposes. We have identified 5 GZ openers for Windows that is compatible with this specific type of GZ file.
Programs that open these files
 | BitZipper | Verified |
 | WinZip | Verified |
 | WinRAR | Verified |
 | 7-Zip | Verified |
 | PowerArchiver | Verified |
Suggest another file format using extension GZ
While we know of one file format using the .GZ file extension, there may be more. It is widespread that different programs use files with the same file extension for very different types of data. Please let us know if you are aware of a different kind of .GZ file.
Not sure exactly what type of file you are trying to open? Try our new File Analyzer. It is a free tool that can identify more than 11,000 different kinds of files - most likely yours too! It will help you find software that can handle your specific type of file. Download File Analyzer here.