ZAD Converter

Extract text from ZAD files


Drop or upload your .ZAD file
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How to extract text from your ZAD file

  1. Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your ZAD file.
  2. You’ll see a preview, if available.
  3. Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert ZAD to another file type

To convert your ZAD file to another format, you need Carmageddon or other Game software.

Convert a file to ZAD

To convert other file formats to the "Game Data Archive" file type, you need software like Carmageddon or a similar tool.


About ZAD files

A .ZAD file is technically a standard ZIP archive disguised with a custom extension, primarily used by the vehicular combat game Carmageddon to store game assets. Inside these archives, you will typically find textures, sound effects, text files, and vehicle configuration data. The main problem users face is that Windows and macOS do not natively recognize the .ZAD extension as an archive, preventing you from double-clicking to browse the contents. While the format is efficient for the game engine, it creates friction for modders or curious gamers who want to extract assets or modify game parameters without using command-line tools. Because it is essentially a compressed container, "converting" a .ZAD file usually means either renaming it to ZIP to access it with standard file explorers or extracting its contents completely. For modding purposes, users often need to repack modified assets back into this format to ensure the game loads them correctly.

Convert.Guru analyzes your ZAD file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted TXT and ZVD files.


FAQ

If you want to convert ZAD file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use Carmageddon or similar software from the "Game Resource Archive" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….

To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to ZAD, try Carmageddon or another comparable tool in the "Game Resource Archive" category.



The ZAD Converter Story

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 ZAD converter.