ARCH Converter

Extract text from ARCH files

Select File
Drop or upload your .ARCH file

Online File Converter

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How to extract text from your ARCH file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your ARCH file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert ARCH to another file type

To convert your ARCH file to another format, you need WatchGuard System Manager or other Compressed software.

Convert a file to ARCH

To convert other file formats to the "Log Archive" file type, you need software like WatchGuard System Manager or a similar tool.

About ARCH files

The .arch filename extension is a "chameleon" format used by various software vendors as a shorthand for Archive. It is not a single, standardized global format, which creates significant frustration for users who cannot simply double-click to open it.

Most commonly (approx. 17%), it represents a Network Appliance Log Archive generated by WatchGuard firewalls, containing raw event data that requires the WatchGuard System Manager to parse. Another significant portion relates to Genesys contact center software for configuration backups, or Nemetschek Allplan for CAD project reinforcement schedules.

However, a frequent drawback is that developers often use .arch to "disguise" standard compression formats. For example, CamScanner and Agfa HealthCare files using this extension are often just renamed ZIP or Apple Property List (plist) containers. This proprietary lock-in attempts to prevent users from tampering with internal data.

Best Conversion Targets:

For Inspection: First, attempt to open the file with 7-Zip or PeaZip. If successful, extract the contents and convert internal files individually.
For Accessibility: Convert to ZIP to ensure the archive can be opened natively on Windows and macOS.
For Documentation: If the file contains logs (WatchGuard) or text data, convert the extracted content to TXT or CSV for analysis in Excel.
For CAD/Images: If sourced from Allplan or CamScanner, convert the internal payload to PDF for universal viewing.

Convert.Guru analyzes your ARCH file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted PEA, PAQ9A and PMS files.

FAQ

If you want to convert ARCH file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use WatchGuard System Manager or similar software from the "Proprietary Data Archive" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….

To convert XXE, 7Z, Z, PAK, LHA, DEB, UUE, TAR, LZH, ZIP, PKG or RAR files to ARCH, try WatchGuard System Manager or another comparable tool in the "Proprietary Data Archive" category.

The ARCH Converter Story

The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ARCH converter.