Tips to open GNUTAR file

Can't open the GNUTAR file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open GNUTAR files as well as a list of programs that support GNUTAR files.

GNUTAR file extension

File Name GNU Tar Archive
File Developer Free Software Foundation
File Category Data Files

The GNUTAR file is supported on 2 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the GNUTAR files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the GNUTAR file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 3
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is GNUTAR file?

The file with the extension GNUTAR is the Data Files file type. The author of this format is Free Software Foundation. Data Files consists of 1326 similar files. GNU Tar Archive is supported by 2 operating systems. These systems consist of Mac OS, Windows, although it may occasionally be found on another system, it will be non-functional. Alternatively, you can use 5 other programs. You can use ALZip, WinZip, 7-Zip, iArchiver in case Apple Archive Utility cannot be used.

How to open GNUTAR file?

The most common problem when using GNU Tar Archive is that a specific GNUTAR is not associated with the program. This causes the file GNUTAR to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. This can be quickly resolved by following the instructions below.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the GNUTAR file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Apple Archive Utility

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Apple Archive Utility is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Apple Archive Utility in it. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Later in this article you will find a list of programs that can open GNUTAR files.

Step 2. Create association of Apple Archive Utility with GNUTAR files

If, despite the installed application, the GNUTAR file does not start in the Apple Archive Utility application, you must create a file association. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. The program should be visible in the window, otherwise it should be selected manually using the "Browse" button and the program installation directory should be indicated. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Apple Archive Utility application as the default for handling the GNUTAR file.

Step 3. Update Apple Archive Utility to the latest version

If, however, after binding Apple Archive Utility with GNU Tar Archive there were still problems, you should update the program to the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the GNUTAR file

Of course, it may happen that despite the above steps, the file still does not work. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. Usually this applies to GNUTAR files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our GNUTAR file. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover GNUTAR files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
Older version of GNUTAR file may not always be supported by the latest software version. These problems are known and are often very easy to fix using the software developers's website.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged GNUTAR files.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted GNUTAR files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. The problem is only writing to the file, not reading it. If possible, you can try to move the GNUTAR file to another location.
This problem only occurs with more complex files. In this case, the GNUTAR file is blocked by the first application to open it. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the GNUTAR file for a certain period of time. If this does not work either, restart the device.