Extract text from executable files (MZ)
To convert MZ executables to another format, you need Microsoft MS-DOS or other Executable software.
To convert other file formats to the "Legacy Executable Binary" file type, you need software like Microsoft MS-DOS or a similar tool.
A .MZ file is typically a DOS MZ executable, a proprietary firmware update, or an application project archive. Because it is not a single standardized format, handling it requires inspecting its internal file signature.
In most cases, a .MZ file contains the classic DOS "MZ" header (named after Microsoft developer Mark Zbikowski), making it functionally identical to an EXE file. These legacy binaries are difficult to use today because modern 64-bit operating systems lack native support for 16-bit DOS architectures, forcing users to rely on emulators like DOSBox.
In other contexts, developers use the .MZ extension for entirely different purposes. Magic Software uses it for Magic xpa application projects, which are actually disguised ZIP files. The Glory GFS-220 banknote sorter uses it for firmware updates packaged as GZIP archives. Myriad Software also utilized it for proprietary music composition scores.
Because this format is highly ambiguous, it is notoriously difficult to open or convert. You cannot simply convert a compiled binary into a readable document, and standard online converters will reject it outright. Often, only the original legacy software can properly read or export the data.
However, you do not need to struggle blindly. Our engine will safely inspect the file and show text or internal hex content without risking a malware infection. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format - such as a ZIP or GZIP archive - extraction and conversion to standard formats becomes possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MZ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted RAW, EXE, AXF, RCV and EX_ files.
If you want to convert MZ file to EXE, MSI, APP, DMG, DEB, RPM, PKG, RUN, SH, BAT, CMD or COM, you can use Microsoft MS-DOS or similar software from the "Executable Binary or Compressed Archive" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert JAR, APP, SCR, IPA, COM, AAB, PS1, DMG, VBS, EXE, XAPK or MSI files to MZ, try Microsoft MS-DOS or another comparable tool in the "Executable Binary or Compressed 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 MZ converter.