Convert TAR to CAB

Understanding TAR and CAB file formats

TAR (Tape Archive) is a widely used archive file format, especially in Unix and Linux environments. It combines multiple files into a single archive file, often for easier distribution or backup, but does not compress the files by default.

CAB (Cabinet) is a Microsoft Windows archive format that supports compression and is commonly used for software installation packages. CAB files can contain compressed or uncompressed files and are optimized for Windows environments.

Why convert TAR to CAB?

Converting a TAR file to a CAB file is useful when you need to distribute files originally archived on Unix/Linux systems to Windows users or for use in Windows-based installers. CAB files offer better integration with Windows and support compression, making them suitable for software deployment.

How to convert TAR to CAB

There is no direct TAR to CAB conversion tool, but you can achieve this in two steps:

1. Extract the contents of the TAR archive.
2. Create a new CAB archive from the extracted files.

Recommended software for TAR to CAB conversion

• 7-Zip (Windows, free):
  1. Open 7-Zip and navigate to your TAR file.
  2. Right-click the TAR file and select Extract Here to extract its contents.
  3. Select the extracted files, right-click, and choose Add to archive....
  4. In the archive format dropdown, select CAB and click OK.
• PeaZip (Windows, free):
  1. Open PeaZip and extract the TAR file.
  2. Select the extracted files and use Add to create a new archive.
  3. Choose CAB as the output format and confirm.

Tips for successful conversion

• Ensure you have enough disk space for extraction and re-archiving.
• Check file permissions after extraction, as some Unix permissions may not transfer to Windows CAB archives.
• For command-line users, cabarc.exe (Microsoft Cabinet Software Development Kit) can be used after extraction.