Extract text from self-extracting archives (SEA)
To convert SEA archives to another format, you need StuffIt Expander or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "Self-Extracting Archive" file type, you need software like StuffIt Expander or a similar tool.
A .sea file is primarily a StuffIt Self-Extracting Archive created for classic Mac OS. Originally developed by Aladdin Systems (later acquired by Smith Micro Software), these files bundle compressed data with a small executable program. This design allowed users in the 1990s and early 2000s to decompress software without needing a standalone utility like StuffIt Expander. Secondary uses for the .sea extension include KiriKiri 3D model archives, XML-based Windows Saved Search files, and legacy NASCAR Racing 2003 season files.
The main disadvantage of the .sea format today is its severe obsolescence and executable nature. Modern operating systems (like macOS Sonoma or Windows 11) cannot natively execute classic Mac OS applications due to architecture shifts from Motorola 68k and PowerPC processors to Intel and ARM. Furthermore, self-extracting executables represent a significant security risk, as malicious code can easily hide within the executable stub. Extracting these files on Windows often destroys legacy Mac "resource forks," resulting in corrupted data if not handled with specialized software.
To preserve your data safely, you must extract the contents without running the legacy code and repackage them into modern formats. For universal archiving and sharing, convert the payload to ZIP. For maximum compression, convert to 7Z. For Unix and Linux environments, use .TAR.GZ.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SEA file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted 1, SIT and SITX files.
If you want to convert SEA file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use StuffIt Expander or similar software from the "Self-extracting compressed archive" 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 SEA, try StuffIt Expander or another comparable tool in the "Self-extracting 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 SEA converter.