CONVERT
CAB → XZ
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Fast, secure CAB to XZ conversion. No registration required.
Why this pair exists — CAB is Microsoft's Cabinet archive format used in Windows installer packaging. Ergo, the XZ route. Our CAB to XZ converter is a bulk re-archiver. You upload an archive, we open it, stream every entry directly into a new archive of the target type and emit a XZ bit-identical to what running 7-Zip locally would produce. Context: CAB is Microsoft's Cabinet archive format used in Windows installer packaging. XZ is the LZMA2-based compression format used for tight compression of source tarballs.
Windows Cabinet
Source formatCAB (Cabinet) is a Windows archive format used for software installers.
XZ Compressed
Target formatXZ provides very high compression ratio using LZMA2, common in Linux packages.
Why convert CAB to XZ
A XZ often compresses the same content smaller than a CAB at the same strength setting, thanks to more modern codecs. For distribution over bandwidth-limited channels — email, chat apps, CDN delivery — the size difference matters.
HOW TO CONVERT
CAB → XZ
Provide the CAB
Drag-and-drop the archive or pick it from your computer. We accept up to 25 MB on the free tier.
Stream-convert
The CAB is decompressed and re-compressed into XZ in a single pipeline stage — no temporary extracted folder.
Retrieve the output
Click to download the XZ. File structure, timestamps and permissions match the original exactly.
Common Use Cases
Share across platforms
Send XZ files to anyone without worrying about whether they have the right software for CAB.
Embed in documents
Drop XZ output into Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Notion or a website without conversion warnings.
Optimize size
XZ often produces smaller files than CAB for web, email and storage.
Archive & future-proof
Store in a widely-supported format that will still open on future operating systems without legacy plugins.
CAB vs XZ — Strengths and limitations
What each format does best, and where it falls short.
CAB Strengths
- Multi-volume — designed for disk-spanning archives.
- Multiple compression algorithms in one format.
- Native Windows support for 30+ years.
- Authenticode signing integrates with Windows security stack.
- Microsoft-maintained tooling (MAKECAB, EXTRAC32, expand.exe).
Limitations
- Windows-only ecosystem — limited Mac/Linux tooling.
- Proprietary container with partial public documentation.
- Overtaken by MSI (which uses CAB internally) for new installers.
XZ Strengths
- Best-in-class compression ratio among mainstream tools.
- Streaming-capable — can pipe through network.
- Multi-threaded compression available.
- Mature on every Linux distribution.
- Supports integrity checking (CRC32, CRC64, SHA-256).
Limitations
- Slow compression at high levels — 3-5× slower than gzip.
- Memory-hungry: xz -9 can need 700+ MB to compress.
- 2024 supply-chain backdoor damaged trust in the project.
CAB vs XZ — Technical specifications
Side-by-side comparison of the technical details.
CAB
- MIME type
- application/vnd.ms-cab-compressed
- Extension
- .cab
- Compression
- MSZIP (DEFLATE), Quantum, LZX
- Max volume size
- 2 GB per file
- Multi-volume
- Yes (split archive spanning)
XZ
- MIME type
- application/x-xz
- Extensions
- .xz, .txz
- Algorithm
- LZMA2
- Standard
- The .xz File Format specification 1.1.0
- Integrity checks
- None, CRC32, CRC64, SHA-256
| Specification | CAB | XZ |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-cab-compressed | application/x-xz |
| Extension | .cab | — |
| Compression | MSZIP (DEFLATE), Quantum, LZX | — |
| Max volume size | 2 GB per file | — |
| Multi-volume | Yes (split archive spanning) | — |
| Extensions | — | .xz, .txz |
| Algorithm | — | LZMA2 |
| Standard | — | The .xz File Format specification 1.1.0 |
| Integrity checks | — | None, CRC32, CRC64, SHA-256 |
CAB vs XZ — Typical file sizes
Approximate file sizes for common scenarios.
CAB
- Single driver package 100 KB - 20 MB
- Windows Update patch 1-500 MB
- Service pack archive 200 MB - 2 GB
XZ
- Text/source archive 15-25% of original
- Linux kernel (.tar.xz) ~125 MB
- Firefox source code ~600 MB
Quality & Compatibility
Compressed size can go up or down between CAB and XZ depending on the codec and the level — modern LZMA2/Zstd usually beats older Deflate on text, while already-compressed content (images, video) changes little. We default to a balanced level; Advanced options expose the full range.
Tips for Best Results
- If the CAB is password-protected, we will ask for the password during upload; the resulting XZ is emitted with encryption too if the format supports it.
- When the XZ has to fit a strict upload cap, split into multi-volume archives in Advanced — several smaller XZ parts are often accepted where a single large one is rejected.
- For distribution bundles, include a short README at the root of the XZ so recipients know what the archive contains without extracting it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The free tier accepts files up to 25 MB without registration, email capture or watermarks; paid plans go up to 2 GB. Paid plans raise the size cap, enable batch conversions and provide a REST API for automation, but nothing on the free tier is quality-limited — the output is exactly the same as on any paid plan.
Yes — because CAB and XZ use different compression codecs, every entry is decompressed from the CAB and re-compressed for the XZ. The uncompressed data is identical on both sides, and the re-compression happens entirely inside our processing container.
Uploads run over HTTPS, files are processed in isolated containers, and both the source CAB and the XZ output are auto-deleted within two hours. No account is required, file contents are never logged, and KaijuConverter does not use uploads for AI training. The paid plan adds a signable data-processing agreement for regulated workflows.
Usually yes, modestly, when the original CAB used an older codec like Deflate. Against modern LZMA2 / Zstd XZ containers expect 10-30% savings on mixed content and almost no change on pre-compressed payloads. Advanced → compression level lets you trade speed for ratio.
Most files finish in well under a minute. Small images and documents are typically ready in a few seconds; large video or audio files scale roughly with duration. Upload speed from your network is usually the dominant factor, not server time.
Yes. Provide the password during upload; we use it only to decrypt inside the processing container and never log or persist it. The resulting XZ can be re-encrypted with a password of your choice (AES where the target format supports it).
Related comparisons
See these formats side by side to understand which fits your use case best.
Secure & Private Conversion
Your files are encrypted during transfer, processed in isolated containers, and automatically deleted within 60 minutes. We never read, share, or store your data.