Extract text from TheBrain archives (BRZ)
To convert BRZ archives to another format, you need TheBrain or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Mind Map Archive" file type, you need software like TheBrain or a similar tool.
A .BRZ file is primarily a proprietary archive format generated by TheBrain, a sophisticated knowledge management and mind-mapping software. These files function as portable backups, encapsulating the user's entire "Brain" - including the core relational database structure and all attached assets like PDF documents, DOCX files, and images.
A common problem for users is the format's opacity; without TheBrain installed, a .BRZ file appears as an inaccessible "black box." Users often encounter these files when trying to recover data from an old backup or when sharing knowledge bases between colleagues who may not have the requisite software license. Because the file logic is tied to the application's interface, you cannot simply double-click to browse the mind map visually.
However, the structural reality of a .BRZ file is much simpler: it is merely a renamed ZIP container. For purely data recovery purposes - specifically extracting the attached files inside - the most pragmatic conversion target is ZIP. By converting or treating the file as a standard archive, you can unzip it to access the raw folder structure containing your documents and media. To view the actual mind map relationships, you must restore the file using the original software, though exporting to HTML or JSON is possible once opened within the application.
Convert.Guru analyzes your BRZ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DOI, WAD and PK files.
If you want to convert BRZ file to , you can use TheBrain or similar software from the "Knowledge Base Archive" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to BRZ, try TheBrain or another comparable tool in the "Knowledge Base Archive" 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 BRZ converter.