Free online TAR to TAR.BZ2 converter
Compress an uncompressed TAR archive with BZIP2 while preserving its stored files.
Convert TAR to TAR.BZ2 online - free
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How it works
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How to convert tar to tar.bz2 file
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.tar.bz2 format. You can recompress an existing TAR file without changing its archived files, either with a command-line tool or through the free converter on 101convert.com without installing software.
What the TAR format is
TAR, named after tape archive, combines multiple files and directories into one uncompressed archive. It is commonly created by GNU tar, Unix and Linux backup utilities, source-code distribution tools, and software package builders. TAR preserves archive metadata such as paths, permissions, ownership, timestamps, and symbolic links, but it does not itself reduce file size.
What the TAR.BZ2 format is
TAR.BZ2 is a TAR archive compressed with the BZIP2 algorithm. The TAR layer stores the files; BZIP2 compresses the resulting TAR stream. It is used for source-code releases, Unix software archives, backups, and systems that support BZIP2. Compared with an uncompressed TAR, it normally requires much less storage and transfers more efficiently, although compression and extraction are slower than with some alternatives such as gzip.
How to convert TAR to TAR.BZ2
Using the command line on Linux or macOS
To compress an existing file named archive.tar while keeping the original, run:
bzip2 -c archive.tar > archive.tar.bz2For maximum BZIP2 compression, use:
bzip2 -9 -c archive.tar > archive.tar.bz2The -c option writes compressed data to standard output, so archive.tar is not deleted. For a newly created archive, package the source directory and compress it in one command:
tar -cjf archive.tar.bz2 folder/Here, -c creates the archive, -j applies BZIP2 compression, and -f specifies the output filename.
Using 101convert.com
Open the TAR-to-TAR.BZ2 converter on 101convert.com, select the .tar file, start the conversion, and download the resulting .tar.bz2 file. This method requires no locally installed archive utility.
Using 7-Zip on Windows
Install 7-Zip, right-click the TAR file, and choose 7-Zip → Add to archive. Select BZIP2 as the archive format, set the destination filename to end in .tar.bz2, and confirm the operation. If the program instead extracts and repacks the contents, verify the resulting archive because repacking can alter metadata or file ordering.
Quality, compatibility, and limitations
This conversion is lossless: BZIP2 does not discard file data, and extraction should reproduce the TAR stream exactly when the existing TAR is compressed directly. Check the result with:
tar -tjf archive.tar.bz2To test decompression without writing extracted files, use:
bzip2 -t archive.tar.bz2BZIP2 compression does not encrypt or password-protect an archive. Some modern tools support TAR.BZ2 but older Windows utilities may require 7-Zip, PeaZip, or a Unix-compatible command line. The compressed file can be larger than the original when the TAR already contains compressed formats such as JPEG, MP4, ZIP, or PDF.
Note: This tar to tar.bz2 conversion record is incomplete, must be verified, and may contain inaccuracies. Please vote below whether you found this information helpful or not.
TAR vs TAR.BZ2: format comparison
How the TAR and TAR.BZ2 formats compare on the properties that matter most for this conversion.
| Property | .TAR Tape Archive | .TAR.BZ2 Bzip2-compressed Tar archive |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Uncompressed | Both |
| Compression ratio | — | High |
| Encryption | No | No |
| Split archives | No | — |
| Recovery record | No | No |
| Operating system support | Wide | Wide |
| Typical file size | Large | Small |
| Open standard | Yes | Yes |
| Introduced | 1979 | 1996 |
| Developer | AT&T Bell Laboratories | — |
| MIME type | application/x-tar | application/x-bzip2 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the TAR to TAR.BZ2 converter free?
Yes, converting TAR to TAR.BZ2 on 101convert.com is completely free. No registration, email address or installation is required. If you need a higher file size limit or want to convert more files at once, see our plans.
How large can my TAR file be?
You can upload TAR files up to 1000 MB and convert up to 1 files at once in a single batch.
What happens to my uploaded files?
Files are processed automatically and deleted from our servers within a few minutes after conversion. We never view or share your files.
Do I need to install any software to convert TAR to TAR.BZ2?
No. The TAR to TAR.BZ2 conversion runs entirely online in your browser and works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.
Did the conversion fail?
In most cases, the cause is an incorrect file format. Please upload a valid TAR file for this TAR to TAR.BZ2 conversion. Occasionally, the issue may be on our side. We analyze recurring conversion failures and disable or fix the converter if we detect a defect.