Extract text from compressed archives (BZIP)
To convert BZIP archives to another format, you need 7-Zip or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compressed Archive" file type, you need software like 7-Zip or a similar tool.
The .bzip file format is an older, obsolete compressed archive format primarily used on Unix and Linux systems. It uses the Burrows-Wheeler block sorting algorithm to reduce file sizes significantly. Historically, users managed these files via the command line, but modern tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR can still extract them.
The main disadvantage of the original .bzip format is that it is severely outdated. It was quickly replaced by bz2 because the original algorithm used arithmetic coding, which faced heavy patent disputes. Additionally, like gzip, the bzip tool only compresses single files. It does not group multiple files or folders together unless it is paired with a TAR archive. It also lacks native password protection and modern encryption standards.
If you need to share these files with standard Windows or macOS users, you must extract the contents and convert them to widely supported formats like ZIP or 7Z.
Standard online tools often fail to recognize this older extension. Our system can safely unpack the archive, extract the original data, and help you migrate this outdated file into a standard, modern format.
Convert.Guru analyzes your BZIP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted BZIP2, TBZ and BZ files.
If you want to convert BZIP file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use 7-Zip or similar software from the "File Compression" 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 BZIP, try 7-Zip or another comparable tool in the "File Compression" 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 BZIP converter.