Extract text from renamed archives (PIZ)
To convert PIZ archives to another format, you need WinZip or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "Obfuscated Archive File" file type, you need software like WinZip or a similar tool.
The .PIZ file extension primarily represents a renamed compressed archive, usually a ZIP, RAR, or 7Z file. Users often rename standard archive extensions to .PIZ to bypass corporate email filters or web upload restrictions that block compressed files to prevent malware distribution. Other, less common uses for the .PIZ extension include PLC project archives for Teco Mosaic, game data for Pizza Tycoon, and music notation scores for Pizzicato software.
The main disadvantage of a .PIZ file is that it breaks default operating system file associations. Because the extension masks the true file format, Windows and macOS will not automatically know which application to use to open it. Standard online converters also fail because they rely on the file extension rather than the actual internal file signature. This leads to frustrating errors when users attempt to open or extract the data.
The best workaround for a renamed archive is simply changing the extension back to ZIP or RAR, which allows utilities like WinZip or WinRAR to process it. However, if the file is a proprietary Teco Mosaic project, it remains locked to that specific ecosystem. Our tool ignores the fake .PIZ extension and reads the internal file signature. If our analysis detects an underlying archive format, you can view the internal content and extract the files directly.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PIZ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ZIP, ZIPX and TZ files.
If you want to convert PIZ file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use WinZip or similar software from the "Renamed Compressed Archive File" 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 PIZ, try WinZip or another comparable tool in the "Renamed Compressed Archive File" 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 PIZ converter.