How to Recover .TAR Files from a Backup After Mistaken Deletion

Have files been deleted due to a user’s error or software error? Have you formatted a disk by accident and need to know how to recover the files? Read our .TAR file recovery guide for Windows, MacOS, Android and IOS in 2024.

How to Recover .TAR Files from a Backup After Mistaken Deletion
Data Recovery Tool

What is a .TAR file?

Tar archive created by tar, a Unix-based utility used to package files together; contains multiple files stored in an uncompressed format; commonly compressed into a .GZ file using GNU Zip compression.

What Are Common Causes of ".TAR" Files Lost or Failure?

There are several common causes of ".TAR" file loss or failure:

  1. Accidental deletion: Users may accidentally delete ".TAR" files while cleaning up their system, resulting in their loss.
  2. File system corruption: File system corruption can occur due to various reasons, such as sudden power outages, improper system shutdown, or hardware failure. This corruption can lead to ".TAR" file loss or failure.
  3. Virus or malware attacks: Viruses or malware can infect and corrupt ".TAR" files, making them inaccessible or causing them to fail.
  4. Software or system crashes: If the software or system crashes while working with ".TAR" files, it can result in file loss or failure.
  5. Disk errors: Disk errors, such as bad sectors or physical damage to the storage device, can cause ".TAR" files to become unreadable or lost.
  6. Improper file transfer: If there are interruptions or errors during the file transfer process, it can lead to ".TAR" file loss or corruption.
  7. Incompatible software or tools: Using incompatible software or tools to extract or open ".TAR" files can cause them to fail or become inaccessible.
  8. Disk formatting: Accidentally formatting the disk or drive containing ".TAR" files can result in their permanent loss.
  9. Human error: Human errors, such as accidentally renaming or moving ".TAR" files to an unknown location, can lead to their loss.
  10. Hardware failure: Hardware failures, such as a malfunctioning hard drive or storage device, can cause ".TAR" files to become inaccessible or lost.

It is important to regularly back up ".TAR" files and use reliable data recovery tools to minimize the risk of loss or failure.

How to recover lost ".TAR" files?

Sometimes while working with a computer, laptop or other stationary or mobile devices, you may encounter various bugs, freezes, hardware or software failures, even in spite of regular updates and junk cleaning. As a result, an important ".TAR" file may be deleted.

Go to view
🧺 How to Recover Files and Folders After Sending Them to the Recycle Bin and Deleting? (Windows 11)

🧺 How to Recover Files and Folders After Sending Them to the Recycle Bin and Deleting? (Windows 11)

By no means should you think that the only way to recover a ".TAR" file is always to create it once more.

Use programs for recovering ".TAR" files if a file was lost after accidental or deliberate deleting, formatting the memory card or the internal storage, cleaning the storage device, after a virus attack or a system failure.

Programs to recover ".TAR" files

Looking for a way to get files back? In cases when files were deleted and they cannot be restored by using standard operating system tools, use Hetman Partition Recovery.

Partition Recovery™ 4.9
The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.
Download

Follow the directions below:

  1. Download Hetman Partition Recovery, install and start the program.

  2. The program will automatically scan the computer and display all hard disks and removable drives connected to it, as well as physical and local disks.

    File Recovery Software

  3. Double-click on the disk from which you need to recover ".TAR" files, and select analysis type.

    Hetman Partition Recovery - Analysis Type

  4. When the scanning is over, you will be shown the files for recovery.

    Hetman Partition Recovery - Files that Can be Restored

  5. To find a file you need, use the program’s interface to open the folder it was deleted from, or go to the folder "Content-Aware Analysis" and select the required file type.

    Hetman Partition Recovery - Deep Scan

  6. Select the files you have been looking for and click "Recovery".

    File Recovery Software - Files List for Recovery

  7. Choose one of the methods for saving the files and recover them.

    Saving recovered files in Hetman Partition Recovery

How to open file with ".TAR" extension?

Looking for how to open a stereo consolidated Unix File Archive image file file?

Programs that open ".TAR" files

Windows
File Viewer Plus File Viewer Plus
Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe for Windows Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe for Windows
Corel WinZip 23 Corel WinZip 23
WinRAR 5 WinRAR 5
PeaZip PeaZip
Acubix PicoZip Acubix PicoZip
E-merge WinAce E-merge WinAce
ESTSoft AlZip ESTSoft AlZip
7-Zip 7-Zip
Zipeg Zipeg
Mac
Apple Archive Utility Apple Archive Utility
Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe 16 Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe 16
Incredible Bee Archiver Incredible Bee Archiver
The Unarchiver The Unarchiver
GNU Tar GNU Tar
Zipeg Zipeg
Keka Keka
Linux
GNU Tar GNU Tar
Android
File Viewer for Android File Viewer for Android
RARLAB RAR RARLAB RAR

Additional Information

  • File type: Consolidated Unix File Archive

  • File extension: .TAR

  • Developer: Jean-loup Gailly

  • Category: Data Files

  • Format: Binary

  • Mime-type: application/x-tar

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Comments (1)

  • Hetman Software: Data Recovery
    Hetman Software: Data Recovery 18.12.2019 15:24 #
    Leave a comment if you have any questions about Recovering lost .TAR files after deleting, cleaning or formatting!
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Vladimir Artiukh

Author: Vladimir Artiukh, Technical Writer

Vladimir Artiukh is a technical writer for Hetman Software, as well as the voice and face of their English-speaking YouTube channel, Hetman Software: Data Recovery for Windows. He handles tutorials, how-tos, and detailed reviews on how the company’s tools work with all kinds of data storage devices.

Oleg Afonin

Editor: Oleg Afonin, Technical Writer

Oleg Afonin is an expert in mobile forensics, data recovery and computer systems. He often attends large data security conferences, and writes several blogs for such resources as xaker.ru, Elcomsoft and Habr. In addition to his online activities, Oleg’s articles are also published in professional magazines. Also, Oleg Afonin is the co-author of a well-known book, Mobile Forensics - Advanced Investigative Strategies.

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Questions and answers

  • What is the purpose of using .tar formats in file compression and archiving?

    The purpose of using .tar formats in file compression and archiving is to combine multiple files into a single archive file.

    The .tar format, also known as Tape Archive, does not compress the files itself. It creates an archive by concatenating the files together. This allows for easy bundling of multiple files or directories into a single file, while preserving the file structure and permissions.

    .tar files are commonly used in Unix and Linux systems for archiving files, as they retain important metadata like file permissions, timestamps, and ownership information. Additionally, .tar files are often compressed with other compression algorithms like gzip or bzip2 to reduce their size, resulting in .tar.gz or .tar.bz2 files.

  • How does a .tar format differ from other compression formats like .zip or .rar?

    The .tar format differs from other compression formats like .zip or .rar in several ways:

    1. File Structure: The .tar format is primarily used for archiving files, while .zip and .rar are used for compression and archiving. A .tar file is a collection of files and directories bundled together, whereas .zip and .rar files are compressed archives that can contain multiple files and directories.
    2. Compression Algorithm: .zip and .rar files use different compression algorithms to reduce file sizes. .zip uses the DEFLATE algorithm, which is a combination of LZ77 and Huffman coding. .rar uses the RAR compression algorithm, which is more efficient in some cases. On the other hand, .tar files do not compress the files by default; they only bundle them together.
    3. Compression Ratio: Due to the different compression algorithms used, the compression ratio can vary between these formats. .rar files generally achieve higher compression ratios compared to .zip files. .tar files, being primarily an archival format, do not compress the files by default, so they have no compression ratio.
    4. Platform Compatibility: .zip files are widely supported across different operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. .rar files, though less common, also have good cross-platform compatibility. .tar files are commonly used in Unix/Linux environments but may require additional software or tools to extract on other platforms.
    5. Additional Features: .zip and .rar formats support various additional features like password protection, file comments, and splitting archives into multiple volumes. .tar files, being a simpler format, do not inherently support these features. However, it is possible to combine .tar and compression formats like .gz or .bz2 to achieve both archiving and compression.

    Overall, the choice of format depends on the specific requirements, compatibility needs, and the level of compression desired for the files being dealt with.

  • What are some common tools or software programs used to create or extract files from .tar formats?

    Some common tools or software programs used to create or extract files from .tar formats are:

    1. Tar: This is a command-line tool available in most Unix-like operating systems. It can be used to create or extract files from .tar archives.
    2. GNU Tar: Also known as "tar" or "gtar," it is an enhanced version of the tar command available on many Unix-like systems. It provides additional features and options for creating or extracting files from .tar archives.
    3. 7-Zip: This is a free and open-source file archiver that supports various formats, including .tar. It can create or extract files from .tar archives and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
    4. WinRAR: This is a popular file archiver for Windows that supports various formats, including .tar. It can create or extract files from .tar archives and provides a user-friendly interface.
    5. WinZip: Another popular file archiver for Windows that supports .tar format. It can create or extract files from .tar archives and provides a user-friendly interface.
    6. PeaZip: This is a free and open-source file archiver that supports various formats, including .tar. It can create or extract files from .tar archives and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
    7. The Unarchiver: This is a free and open-source file archiver for macOS that supports various formats, including .tar. It can create or extract files from .tar archives and provides a user-friendly interface.

    These are just a few examples, and there are many other tools or software programs available for creating or extracting files from .tar formats. The choice of tool or software may depend on the operating system you are using and your specific requirements.
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