File Extension/GZ
alphabetical list of extensions

File extension .GZ

File description

Gnu Zipped Archive (GZ) is a software application used for file compression and decompression. The fundamental of GZ is the Deflate algorithm which is the combination of Huffman coding and LZ77.

Zip format can keep collections of files without an external archiver but is less compact than the compressed ones.

Use Notepad or other text editor to open the GZ file. There are lots of text-only files, which meand that the file’s extension does not matter. The text editor can correctly display the file’s content. Maybe it is not the case with Gz file but it worth trying.

Description of the problem
If you have on your computer a .GZ 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 .GZ extension. Directly on this website you can find a solution of the most common problem with the .GZ 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 .GZ 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
Compressed Files
Developer
The GNU Project
Popularity
StarStarStarStarStar
File name: Gnu Zipped Archive
Programs that will open this file:
Windows
Windows
7-Zip 7-Zip
ALZip ALZip
IZArc IZArc
PeaZip PeaZip
WinRAR WinRAR
WinZip WinZip
Zipeg Zipeg
ZipZag ZipZag
Mac OS
Mac OS
Apple Archive Utility Apple Archive Utility
iArchiver iArchiver
The Unarchiver The Unarchiver
Linux
Linux
Ark Ark
gzip gzip
Xarchive Xarchive
Remember!
The .GZ file extension can correspond to several not related file formats. If there is more than one file format with the .GZ 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 .GZ file does not want to open

In addition to the problem described above, i.e. the lack of the appropriate application to support the .GZ 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 .GZ file, you may have a problem with it because of its version. Perhaps in previous versions the application has not yet supported the .GZ file, so download the update and check again.

2. Incorrect .GZ 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 .GZ 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.