trouble installing R from source on Windows 8

Stop using administrator. If and only if Windows prompts you for permission to install, give it your password. Stay as far away from administrator as you can.
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Hello everyone!

I'm trying to install R-3.1.2 from source on a Windows 8 laptop.

I installed Rtools 3.1 as administrator and is was fine so far.

Then I downloaded the R-3.1.2.tar.gz file and attempted to use the tar
command,
also from the shell as administrator.

I keep getting the following:
tar -xf R-3.1.2.tar.gz
tar(child): gzip: Cannot exec: no such file or directory
tar(child): Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors

I have downloaded from several different mirrors, (both Rtools and
R-3.1.2.tar.gz), and have turned off the firewall (McAfee).

Has anyone else run into this, please?

Thanks so much,
Sincerely,
Erin