Which file format would require a third-party utility to extract in Windows?

The file format that requires a third-party utility to extract in Windows is TAR. TAR files, which stand for Tape Archive, were originally created for UNIX-based systems to bundle multiple files into a single archive. While Windows does have some built-in support for compressed files, such as ZIP, it does not natively support the extraction of TAR files. Therefore, users typically need to download and install a third-party utility like 7-Zip or WinRAR to open and extract the contents of a TAR archive.

ZIP files, in contrast, are natively supported in Windows, allowing users to create and extract them without any additional software. ISO files, used for disk images, can also be mounted or opened in Windows without third-party tools since Windows 8. DMG files, which are used primarily on macOS, also require a third-party application or utility to open on a Windows machine.