Extract text from Tape archives (USTAR)
To convert USTAR archives to another format, you need GNU tar or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "Tape Archive Format" file type, you need software like GNU tar or a similar tool.
The .USTAR format (Uniform Standard Tape Archive) is a POSIX-standardized archive file designed to bundle multiple files and directories into a single data stream. It was originally built for sequential backups to magnetic tape drives.
These files can typically be created or opened on Unix/Linux systems using the native GNU tar command-line utility. For Windows and macOS users, third-party software like 7-Zip or WinRAR is required to explore the contents. You can read more about its history on Wikipedia.
The primary disadvantage of the .ustar format is that it does not use compression. A 10GB folder will result in a 10GB .ustar file, consuming massive disk space and bandwidth. Furthermore, the format imposes an 8GB file size limit per individual bundled file and lacks modern features like native encryption. Native Windows File Explorer completely fails to open it.
To make these files usable, you should extract or convert them to ZIP or 7Z. These target formats introduce strong compression to reduce file size and provide native compatibility across all modern operating systems without requiring users to install specialized tools.
Because it is an older, raw archive format, standard web converters often fail to process it correctly.
Convert.Guru analyzes your USTAR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted UCN, NSIS and L3G files.
If you want to convert USTAR file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use GNU tar or similar software from the "Standardized File Archiving" 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 USTAR, try GNU tar or another comparable tool in the "Standardized File Archiving" 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 USTAR converter.