Files & Archives · Extract Archives (7Z, TAR, GZ)
Open 7z, tar.gz and other archives safely on your computer
Quick answer
Open Toolfox → Extract Archives (7Z, TAR, GZ), drop 7Z, TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, TAR.XZ, TAR.ZST or ZIP archives and click Extract. Each archive goes into a new folder, never merged into an existing one, and single .gz, .bz2, .xz or .zst files are restored next to the original. It runs entirely on your computer (Mac, Windows or Linux). Files are never uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Extract Archives and drop one or more archives.
- For an encrypted 7z archive, enter its password.
- Keep “Skip system junk files” on to leave out .DS_Store, ._* and Thumbs.db.
- Click Extract. photos.tar.gz becomes a new photos folder.
Options you can set
- Password (7z only)
- Skip system junk files (.DS_Store, ._*, Thumbs.db)
- Stop extracting beyond
Good to know
- RAR archives aren't supported (the format is proprietary). Open them with the app that made them, or ask the sender for a ZIP or 7z.
- Extraction never writes outside the new folder. Symbolic links, devices and FIFOs inside archives are skipped; hard links become regular copies.
- 7z: LZMA, LZMA2, PPMd, BZip2, Deflate, BCJ filters and AES-256 encryption are supported. Multi-part (.7z.001) and self-extracting archives aren't.
- Zstandard: frames that need more than a 100 MB window (zstd --long) aren't supported.
- Modification times are kept. Unix permissions are kept on macOS and Linux (never setuid or setgid). Owners and extended attributes aren't restored.
Extract Archives (7Z, TAR, GZ) FAQ
Can it open RAR files?
No. RAR is a proprietary format and isn't supported. Open it with the app that made it, or ask the sender for a ZIP or 7z.
Is it safe to extract archives from the internet?
Extraction never writes outside the new folder, symbolic links and special files are skipped, and it stops beyond a size limit (10 GB by default) to block archive “bombs”.
Does it support split or self-extracting 7z archives?
No. Multi-part (.7z.001) and self-extracting archives aren't supported. AES-256 encrypted 7z archives are, with the password.
Is Extract Archives (7Z, TAR, GZ) in Toolfox free?
Yes. Extract Archives (7Z, TAR, GZ) is one of 57 tools in Toolfox, a free app for Mac, Windows and Linux with no account, ads, limits or watermarks.
Does Extract Archives (7Z, TAR, GZ) upload my files?
No. Toolfox processes files on your own computer and works offline; your files are never uploaded.
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Updated 2026-10-18 · Toolfox v0.2.1