How to Extract a Gz File

This wikiHow teaches you how to decompress and open a GZ folder, which is a type of compressed (ZIP) folder. You can do this using various programs on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android platforms. Download and install 7-Zip. Skip this step...

Method 1 of 4:

On Windows

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    Download and install 7-Zip. Skip this step if you already have 7-Zip on your computer. To install 7-Zip:
    1. Go to http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
    2. Click Download to the left of an exe option at the top of the page.
    3. Double-click the 7-Zip setup file.
    4. Click Yes when prompted.
    5. Click Install
    6. Click Close when the installation completes.
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    Open Start
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    . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. The Start menu will open.
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    Open File Explorer
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    . Click the folder-shaped icon in the bottom-left side of the Start menu.
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    Go to your GZ folder's location. Click the folder that contains the GZ folder on the left side of the File Explorer window.
    1. You may have to click through multiple folders to get to the GZ folder.
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    Select your GZ folder. Click the folder to do so.
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    Click the Home tab. This tab is in the top-left corner of the File Explorer window. Clicking it prompts a toolbar to appear below the Home tab.
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    Click Copy path. It's in the "Clipboard" section of the Home toolbar.
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    Open 7-Zip. Click the 7-Zip app icon, which resembles a black-and-white "7z".
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    Click the 7-Zip address bar. It's near the top of the 7-Zip window, just below the row of buttons (e.g., Add, Extract, etc.). Doing so will select the address bar's contents.
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    Enter the GZ folder's address. Press Ctrl+V to place the path to the GZ folder in the address bar, then press ↵ Enter. Doing so will take you to the GZ folder and allow you to view its contents.
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    Click the folder icon. It's on the far-left side of the address bar. Doing so selects the entire GZ folder, allowing you to extract all of its contents into a regular folder.
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    Click Extract. This - icon is in the top-left side of the 7-Zip window. A pop-up window will appear.
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    Select an extraction destination. Click ⋯ on the far-right side of the "Extract to" field, select a destination (e.g., Desktop), and click OK.
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    Click OK. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will close the window and begin extracting the GZ folder's contents into a regular folder in your selected destination.
    1. Once the process completes, you can double-click the extracted folder to view the GZ folder's contents.
Method 2 of 4:

On Mac

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    Download and install The Unarchiver. Skip this step if you already have The Unarchiver on your Mac. To download and install The Unarchiver:
    1. Open your Mac's App Store
    2. Click the search bar in the top-right corner of the window.
    3. Type the unarchiver into the search bar and press ⏎ Return.
    4. Click INSTALL APP under the The Unarchiver app.
    5. Enter your Apple ID password if prompted.
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    Open The Unarchiver. Open Spotlight
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    , type in unarchiver, and click The Unarchiver in the drop-down results section.
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    Click the Archive Formats tab. It's at the top of the Unarchiver window.
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    Check the "Gzip File" and "Gzip Tar Archive" boxes. You'll find these near the top of the window. This will ensure that The Unarchiver can extract and open GZ folders.
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    Open Finder. Click the blue, face-like icon in the Dock.
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    Go to your GZ folder. Click the GZ folder's location on the left side of the Finder window. You may also have to click additional folders to get to the GZ folder.
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    Extract the GZ folder. You can extract the GZ folder by double-clicking it, though in some cases you will have to select a save location and click Extract in the bottom-right corner of the window after double-clicking. Once the GZ folder is done extracting, you can open the extracted folder the way you would open a normal folder.
    1. If you receive a message saying that The Unarchiver can't extract to your selected location, click the Apple menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen, click System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, click the Privacy tab, click the Accessibility section, click the padlock in the bottom-left corner, enter your password, click +, select The Unarchiver in the Applications folder, click Open, and lock the menu.
    2. You can also open the GZ folder by selecting it, clicking File, selecting Open With, and clicking The Unarchiver in the pop-out menu.
Method 3 of 4:

On iPhone

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    Download iZip. Skip this step if your iPhone already has iZip on it. To download iZip:
    1. Open the
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      App Store
    2. Tap Search
    3. Tap the App Store search bar.
    4. Type in izip, then tap Search
    5. Tap GET
    6. Enter your Apple ID password or Touch ID.
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    Open the GZ folder's location. Tap the app in which your GZ folder is currently stored.
    1. Since most email applications can't open GZ folders, your best bet is to open the GZ folder inside of a cloud storage service like Google Drive.
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    Tap Share
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    . Its location will vary depending on the app in which your GZ folder is stored, but you'll typically find it in one of the screen's corners. Tapping it opens a pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen.
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    Scroll right and tap Copy to iZip. The folder-shaped icon is on the far-right side of the top row of apps in the Share pop-up menu. Doing so will open iZip.
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    Tap X on the "Pro" notification. It's in the top-right corner of the pop-up window. If you don't see a window prompting you to upgrade to iZip Pro, skip this step.
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    Tap OK when prompted. You'll see this on a pop-up notification that says "Would you like to extract all files?". Tapping OK extracts the GZ folder's files and opens their storage location, allowing you to view and open the GZ folder's files.
Method 4 of 4:

On Android

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    Download the GZ folder onto your Android. Open the app in which the GZ folder is stored, select it, and download it onto your Android's internal storage.
    1. Skip this step if the GZ folder is already on your Android.
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    Download and open AndroZip. If AndroZip is already on your Android, just tap its app icon to open it. To download AndroZip:
    1. Open the
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      Play Store
    2. Tap the search bar
    3. Type in androzip
    4. Tap AndroZip FREE File Manager
    5. Tap INSTALL
    6. Tap ACCEPT
    7. Tap OPEN
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    Tap Continue. It's in the middle of the pop-up window that appears when AndroZip opens.
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    Tap DOWNLOADS. This option is on the left side of the screen. Doing so will open a list of your recently downloaded files, including your GZ folder.
    1. You may first have to tap ☰ here to view this option.
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    Tap your GZ folder. This will select it, and a pop-up window will appear.
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    Tap Extract file here. It's at the top of the pop-up window. Doing so immediately extracts your GZ folder to the DOWNLOADS section of the AndroZip app. You can select any of the extracted files to open and view them.
    1. You can also tap Extract to... to select a different folder to extract to.
Update 05 March 2020
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