Convert Archives to Any Format

ZIP Archive - universal compression format developed by Phil Katz (1989) supporting multiple compression methods. Built into Windows, macOS, and Linux. Uses DEFLATE algorithm providing good compression (40-60% reduction) with fast processing. Supports file encryption, split archives, and compression levels. Maximum compatibility across all platforms and devices. Perfect for file sharing, email attachments, web downloads, and general-purpose compression. Industry standard with virtually universal software support including built-in OS tools, mobile apps, and command-line utilities.

RAR Archive - proprietary format by Eugene Roshal (1993) offering superior compression ratios (10-20% better than ZIP) through advanced algorithms. Popular on Windows with WinRAR software. Supports recovery records for damaged archive repair, solid compression for better ratios, strong AES encryption, and split archives up to 8 exabytes. Excellent for long-term storage, large file collections, and backup scenarios. Common in software distribution and file sharing communities. Requires WinRAR or compatible software (not built into most systems).

7-Zip Archive - open-source format by Igor Pavlov (1999) providing the best compression ratio available (20-40% better than ZIP, 10-15% better than RAR). Uses LZMA and LZMA2 algorithms with strong AES-256 encryption. Supports huge file sizes (16 exabytes), multiple compression methods, solid compression, and self-extracting archives. Free from licensing restrictions and patent concerns. Perfect for maximizing storage efficiency, software distribution, and backup archives where size matters. Requires 7-Zip or compatible software but offers exceptional space savings.

TAR Archive - Tape Archive format from Unix (1979) bundling multiple files and directories into single file without compression. Preserves file permissions, ownership, timestamps, and symbolic links critical for Unix systems. Often combined with compression (TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, TAR.XZ) for efficient distribution. Standard format for Linux software packages, system backups, and cross-platform file transfer. Essential for maintaining Unix file attributes. Works with streaming operations enabling network transfers and piping. Foundation of Unix/Linux backup and distribution systems.

GZIP/TGZ - GNU zip compression format (1992) using DEFLATE algorithm, standard compression for Linux and Unix systems. TGZ is TAR archive compressed with GZIP. Fast compression and decompression with moderate ratios (50-70% reduction for text). Single-file compression commonly paired with TAR for multi-file archives. Universal on Unix/Linux systems with built-in 'gzip' command. Perfect for log files, text data, Linux software distribution, and web server compression. Streaming-friendly enabling on-the-fly compression. Industry standard for Unix file compression since the 1990s.

BZIP2/TBZ2 - block-sorting compression format by Julian Seward (1996) offering better compression than GZIP (10-15% smaller) at the cost of slower processing. TBZ2 is TAR archive compressed with BZIP2. Uses Burrows-Wheeler transform achieving excellent ratios on text and source code. Popular for software distribution where size matters more than speed. Common in Linux package repositories and source code archives. Ideal for archival storage, software releases, and situations prioritizing compression over speed. Standard tool on most Unix/Linux systems.

XZ/TXZ - modern compression format (2009) using LZMA2 algorithm providing excellent compression ratios approaching 7Z quality. TXZ is TAR archive compressed with XZ. Superior to GZIP and BZIP2 with ratios similar to 7Z but as single-file stream. Becoming the new standard for Linux distributions and software packages. Supports multi-threading for faster processing. Perfect for large archives, software distribution, and modern Linux systems. Smaller download sizes for software packages while maintaining fast decompression. Default compression for many current Linux distributions.

TAR.7Z Archive - TAR archive compressed with 7-Zip's LZMA algorithm, combining Unix archiving with the best compression available. Merges TAR's ability to preserve Unix file attributes (permissions, ownership, symbolic links) with 7Z's exceptional compression ratios (typically 30-50% better than TAR.GZ). Less common than other TAR variants but incredibly effective for maximum space savings on Unix/Linux systems. Perfect for creating the smallest possible Linux backups, distributing large software packages where size is critical, or archiving large codebases and document collections. Requires 7-Zip tools for extraction. Ideal when you need both Unix compatibility AND maximum compression.

TAR.BZ Archive - TAR archive compressed with BZIP compression, an alternative notation for TBZ/TBZ2 format. Uses Burrows-Wheeler transform for excellent compression on text and source code, achieving 10-20% better ratios than TAR.GZ at the cost of slower compression and decompression speeds. Popular in Linux source code distributions, software releases, and situations where bandwidth or storage is limited but CPU time is available. Common in Gentoo Linux and source-based distributions. Preserves all Unix file attributes while providing superior compression for text-heavy content. Better than GZIP for archival but slower for quick operations.

TAR.LZ Archive - TAR archive compressed with LZIP format, using LZMA algorithm similar to XZ but with different container format. LZIP emphasizes data integrity and long-term archival with built-in error detection and recovery capabilities. Provides compression ratios similar to XZ/LZMA2 while prioritizing data safety and archival quality. Less common than other formats but valued in digital preservation communities and long-term backup scenarios. Perfect for archival purposes where data integrity over decades matters, scientific data preservation, and critical backup scenarios. Supports data recovery from damaged archives better than most formats.

TAR.LZMA Archive - TAR archive compressed with LZMA (Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain Algorithm), the predecessor to XZ format. Provides excellent compression ratios similar to modern XZ but using older container format. Largely superseded by XZ format which uses LZMA2 algorithm and offers better performance. Still encountered in older Linux distributions and legacy software packages from mid-2000s era. Compatible with most modern archive tools but XZ is now preferred for new archives. Historical format important for accessing older Linux software repositories and legacy system backups. Consider converting to TAR.XZ for better compatibility with modern systems.

TAR.LZO Archive - TAR archive compressed with LZO (Lempel-Ziv-Oberhumer) algorithm, emphasizing decompression speed over compression ratio. LZO is extraordinarily fast for decompression (5-10x faster than GZIP) while providing moderate compression (similar to GZIP but slightly less). Perfect for scenarios requiring rapid extraction: live system backups, network file transfers with on-the-fly decompression, embedded systems with limited CPU power, real-time data streaming, and high-speed backup operations. Popular in system administration, backup tools like BackupPC, and situations where extraction speed is more critical than archive size. Trade-off: Slightly larger files but significantly faster operations.

TAR.Z Archive - TAR archive compressed with classic Unix compress utility (LZW algorithm), one of the oldest compression formats from early Unix systems (1980s). Historically significant but now obsolete, largely replaced by GZIP which offers better compression and no patent concerns. Compress utility was once standard on Unix systems but removed due to LZW patent issues (now expired). Files are typically larger than modern alternatives. Mainly encountered in very old Unix archives, legacy system backups from 1980s-1990s, and historical software distributions. Important for accessing ancient Unix archives but should be converted to modern formats (TGZ, TXZ) for long-term storage and better compatibility with current systems.

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ISO Image - ISO 9660 disk image format containing exact sector-by-sector copy of optical media (CD/DVD/Blu-ray). Standard format for distributing operating systems, software installations, and bootable media. Can be mounted as virtual drive without physical disc. Contains complete filesystem including boot sectors, metadata, and file structures. Essential for Linux distributions, system recovery media, and software archives. Used by burning software, virtual machines, and media servers. Universal standard with support in all major operating systems for mounting and burning.

Cabinet Archive - Microsoft's compression format for Windows installers and system files. Used extensively in Windows setup packages, driver installations, and system updates. Supports multiple compression algorithms (DEFLATE, LZX, Quantum), split archives, and digital signatures. Built into Windows with native extraction support. Common in software distribution for Windows applications, particularly older installers and Microsoft products. Maintains Windows-specific attributes and can store multiple files with folder structures. Part of Windows since 1996.

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Debian Package - software package format for Debian, Ubuntu, and derivative Linux distributions. Contains compiled software, installation scripts, configuration files, and dependency metadata. Used by APT package manager (apt, apt-get commands). Actually a special AR archive containing control files and data archives. Essential format for Debian-based Linux software distribution. Includes pre/post-installation scripts, version management, and dependency resolution. Standard packaging for thousands of Ubuntu/Debian applications. Can be inspected and extracted as regular archive.

RPM Package - Red Hat Package Manager format for Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS, SUSE, and derivative Linux distributions. Contains compiled software, installation metadata, scripts, and dependency information. Used by YUM and DNF package managers. Includes GPG signature support for security verification. Standard for Red Hat Enterprise Linux ecosystem. Supports pre/post-installation scriptlets, file verification, and rollback capabilities. Essential format for RHEL-based Linux software distribution. Can be extracted as archive to inspect contents without installation.

JAR Archive - Java Archive format based on ZIP compression for packaging Java applications. Contains compiled Java classes (.class files), application resources, and manifest metadata. Standard distribution format for Java applications and libraries. Supports digital signatures for code verification. Can be executable (runnable JAR files with Main-Class manifest). Perfect for Java application deployment, library distribution, and plugin systems. Compatible with ZIP tools but includes Java-specific features. Essential format for Java development and deployment since 1996.

ARJ Archive - legacy DOS compression format by Robert Jung (1991). Popular in DOS and early Windows era for its good compression ratio and ability to create multi-volume archives. Supports encryption, damage protection, and archive comments. Largely obsolete today, replaced by ZIP, RAR, and 7Z. Still encountered in legacy systems and old software archives. Requires ARJ or compatible decompression software. Historical format important for accessing old DOS/Windows archives from 1990s. Better converted to modern formats for long-term accessibility.

LHA Archive - Japanese compression format (also LZH) developed in 1988, extremely popular in Japan and with Amiga users. Uses LZSS and LZHUF compression algorithms providing good ratios. Common for Japanese software distribution in 1990s. Supports archive headers, directory structures, and file attributes. Legacy format now mostly replaced by modern alternatives. Still encountered in retro computing, Japanese software archives, and Amiga communities. Requires LHA/LZH compatible software for extraction. Important for accessing Japanese and Amiga software archives.

CPIO Archive - Copy In/Out archive format from Unix (1970s) for creating file archives. Simpler than TAR, often used for system backups and initramfs/initrd creation. Standard format for Linux initial RAM disk images. Supports multiple formats (binary, ASCII, CRC). Better handling of special files and device nodes than TAR. Common in system administration, bootloader configurations, and kernel initrd images. Universal on Unix/Linux systems. Essential for system-level archiving and embedded Linux systems. Works well for streaming operations.