CUR to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Windows Cursor and TAR Archive exist for different jobs: CUR is the Windows cursor format — structurally an ICO file with a hotspot, holding small bitmap cursor images. TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects.
Because the whole conversion happens on your device, it is instant, unlimited and genuinely private — no accounts, no watermarks, no files on anyone's server. Multiple files are converted in one go.
How CUR compares to TAR
| CUR | TAR | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | BMP/PNG members (as ICO) | None (pair with gzip/zstd) |
| Best for | Windows cursors and UI assets | Linux packaging and source trees |
How to convert CUR to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Select your CUR file — it never leaves your device.
- 2
Convert instantly
The engine packs the file, byte for byte, into a TAR container — no re-encoding, no quality change.
- 3
Download results
Download the finished TAR archive.
About the CUR format
CUR is the Windows cursor file: structurally identical to ICO (several small bitmap sizes bundled), with the addition of a hotspot coordinate that marks which pixel is the pointer's tip. Windows ships most of its system cursors as CUR files.
Designers customizing cursors or extracting UI assets meet CUR files that no modern image tool opens. Converting to PNG (the largest embedded size) makes them editable, viewable and reusable in web apps that implement custom cursors.
+Strengths
- ✓Windows cursor standard
- ✓Multiple sizes in one file
- ✓Hotspot data travels with the image
!Limitations
- −Tiny sizes only (usually ≤48px)
- −Meaningless outside cursor use
About the TAR format
TAR (tape archive) is Unix's fifty-year-old answer to bundling: it concatenates files with headers into a single stream, preserving POSIX permissions, ownership and symlinks — but compressing nothing. It is the container half of the classic .tar.gz pairing and the native format of Linux source trees and backups.
Being pure bundling, TAR pairs with a compressor: gzip (the classic), bzip2, zstd. Alone, a TAR is the same size as its contents. Windows 10+ ships bsdtar, so even Windows can unpack it now — permissions aside, where NTFS has no room to be faithful.
+Strengths
- ✓Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks
- ✓Streamable: works over pipes and tapes
- ✓The standard of Linux distribution and backup
!Limitations
- −No compression by itself
- −No built-in encryption
- −Permissions meaningless on Windows filesystems
Why convert CUR to TAR?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR meet what CUR cannot give you. Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks Meanwhile Tiny sizes only (usually ≤48px) One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this CUR to TAR converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting CUR to TAR?
No — TAR is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original CUR file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to TAR?
Transparency is kept whenever TAR actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.
Can I convert several CUR files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.