Extract text from Sony raw or backup files (ARQ)
To convert ARQ Sony files to another format, you need Sony Imaging Edge or other Camera Raw software.
To convert other file formats to the "Pixel Shift Composite" file type, you need software like Sony Imaging Edge or a similar tool.
The .ARQ extension typically represents two very different types of high-value data, creating a confusing landscape for users trying to access their files.
First, and most commonly for photographers, it is a Sony Pixel Shift Multi Shooting raw file. These are massive, high-fidelity images created using Sony Imaging Edge to combine four or sixteen standard ARW frames into a single composite. While this technique creates incredible detail and color accuracy by canceling out the Bayer filter mosaic, the resulting file is essentially a proprietary wrapper around standard TIFF or raw data. The friction here is significant: .ARQ files often exceed hundreds of megabytes, are not supported by standard operating system viewers (Windows Photos or macOS Preview), and require heavy, specialized software just to view. For web use or client proofing, you must convert these to JPG or WebP. For archiving without the proprietary lock-in, TIFF or DNG are the standard targets.
Second, in the automotive and IT sectors, .ARQ files function as compressed archives. They are frequently associated with Mitchell 1 OnDemand5, a repair information database, or strictly as backup sets from Arq Backup. These files act as proprietary containers (similar to a strict ZIP or database dump). Users often find themselves unable to extract specific documents or invoices from these archives without reinstalling legacy software. If you possess a text-based .ARQ (like the Brazilian Tinus NFSe invoice), it is essentially XML data that should be converted to PDF for readable printing and compliance.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ARQ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted MBZ, PCV and PMB files.
If you want to convert ARQ file to CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT, DB or SQL, you can use Sony Imaging Edge or similar software from the "High-Res RAW Image Composite" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to ARQ, try Sony Imaging Edge or another comparable tool in the "High-Res RAW Image Composite" category.
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 ARQ converter.