How to open a .z file (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Q: Why can't I open my .z file?

Usually your computer lacks an app that understands Z. Install one of the apps listed here, or convert the file to a more common format.

A .z file is a Unix Compress File. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads Z yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.

Open a .z file step by step

Confirm the file really is a .z. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
On Windows, open it with 7-Zip or WinRAR.
On Mac, use The Unarchiver or uncompress (command line).
On Linux, try gunzip or uncompress.
Still stuck? Convert the .z to gz, which opens more widely.

Best apps to open .z files

Windows

7-Zip
WinRAR

macOS

The Unarchiver
uncompress (command line)

Linux

gunzip
uncompress
zcat

Before you open it: Safe to extract with a trusted tool.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I open my .z file?

Almost always because no installed app understands Z. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.

How do I open a .Z file?

gunzip or uncompress on Unix decompress it, and 7-Zip does on Windows. A .tar.Z unpacks with tar -xf after decompressing.

What is the difference between .Z and .gz?

.Z is the older Unix compress format (LZW); .gz is gzip, which replaced it with better compression. Tools read both.