.gz file

rctneil · 4 Dec 2010 at 13:18

Hey,

I ahve just downloaded several video files which are all in .gz format. I have tried opening them in both 7 zip and winrar but in 7 zip I get told:

"Can not open file 'blah blah blah.gz' as archive"

and in winrar:

"No archives found"

This is happening with all of the files I have downloaded. I have tried downloading each one multiple times but I get the same errors every time.

The owner also tells me that there is nothing wrong with the files.

Any ideas guys?

Thanks

Neil

VeNT · 4 Dec 2010 at 16:03

it's a linux style container file
not sure why anyone would use it for vids tho as it's not gonna compress it at all!
if 7zip can't do it then the archive is fake/corrupt

memyselfandi · 4 Dec 2010 at 16:29

.gz is for files which have been compressed with the gzip application (as VeNT indicates this is normally used on Linux (and other Unixes), normally in combination with tar which forms a container of files gzip then compresses).

7zip and Winzip should be able to uncompress them assuming they are valid.

rctneil · 4 Dec 2010 at 17:13

Update on this: I tried opening the .gz files directly within VLC media player and they worked!

How is this working?

rpstewart · 4 Dec 2010 at 17:24

They're probably just named .gz but aren't actually compressed files.

SiriusB · 4 Dec 2010 at 17:27

As above, sounds like they have the wrong extension.

NathanE · 4 Dec 2010 at 21:14

VLC supports decompression streaming...

VeNT · 4 Dec 2010 at 23:17

as well as files that have had their extensions changed and that are only partially downloaded/corrupted.