File Extension/TAR
alphabetical list of extensions

File extension .TAR

File description

Files with the TAR extension are the ones that are the TAR archive files that are created by the TAR file archiving utility program. This utility is mainly the Unix based utility that combines several files into a large archive folder.

The TAR file is useful in making the distribution and storage of large files more manageable and convenient. Instead of adding 15 file attachments to an email message, you can combine all of the 15 files into one TAR file and attach the one archive attachment to the email. The TAR files cannot always be compressed, though compression of these files is completely possible.

Description of the problem
If you have on your computer a .TAR file that you cannot open, you are in exactly the same situation as thousands of other people who have similar problems with this or any other unknown file.

There may be several reasons why you cannot open the file with .TAR extension. Directly on this website you can find a solution of the most common problem with the .TAR file – that you do not have on your computer the appropriate program to open the file.
Solution
From the list below, select the appropriate program, install it and double click on the icon of a file that did not want to open - the problem with the .TAR file extension should be solved. However, if this does not happen, go back to the website to learn about other possible causes of the error, which have been described at the bottom of the website.
Category
Data Files
Developer
Jean-loup Gailly
Popularity
StarStarStarStarStar
File name: Consolidated Unix File Archive
Programs that will open this file:
Windows
Windows
7-Zip 7-Zip
Advanced Archive Repair Advanced Archive Repair
Advanced TAR Repair Advanced TAR Repair
ALZip ALZip
IZArc IZArc
PeaZip PeaZip
WinAce WinAce
WinRAR WinRAR
WinZip WinZip
ZipZag ZipZag
Mac OS
Mac OS
Apple Archive Utility Apple Archive Utility
iArchiver iArchiver
sArchiver sArchiver
StuffIt StuffIt
StuffIt Expander StuffIt Expander
Unarchiver Unarchiver
Linux
Linux
GNU Tar GNU Tar
TAR TAR
Xarchiver Xarchiver
Remember!
The .TAR file extension can correspond to several not related file formats. If there is more than one file format with the .TAR extension, you will probably find most of them at this website. Remember that you need to download a program to support a particular file type. So first look through the entire contents of the website to select a program to support just the file you have.

Other possible reasons why your .TAR file does not want to open

In addition to the problem described above, i.e. the lack of the appropriate application to support the .TAR file, there may be several reasons that cause problems with opening and operation of the data format:

1. Incorrect version of the installed application

A quite common problem is the lack of application in the appropriate version. Even if you have an application, with the help of which you should open the .TAR file, you may have a problem with it because of its version. Perhaps in previous versions the application has not yet supported the .TAR file, so download the update and check again.

2. Incorrect .TAR file association with the program

If you have already installed the appropriate application, and it is the correct version, the file may not open correctly, because the operating system does not have information that this program supports the file. So you need to "show" which program the computer should use. To do this:

  • Right-click the .TAR file
  • Go to the "Open with" - then "Choose default program ..."
  • Locate the appropriate application
  • Click "OK"

3. The file is corrupt

It also happens that the file you want to open is corrupt and therefore there is no such possibility. In this situation, you should find its different version, or ask a person from whom you got, to send it again.