You might have encountered a RAR file that you must or just need to open. Or someone might have requested you to send them a RAR file. You may need to open them before using them, but you do not know how to open them. Then search no more, because this blog is here to guide you on ways how to open RAR files.
How to Open RAR File
At some points, most people receive files that they are not sure how to open. Windows does not natively supports all the file formats, so sometime you will need to have specific software for accessing such files that you are not sure how to open. The RAR file format is a common sample.
It is widely used, but Windows 11 could not open this type of file without using a dedicated program meanwhile it is a proprietary file format.
What is a RAR File
A RAR is a proprietary archive file format that supports data compression, file spanning, and error correction. It was developed by a Russian Software engineer – Eugene Roshal. It is a file archive format that uses the RAR compression algorithm.
RAR files are mostly used to make data transfer easier. For instance, a RAR file archive could be transferred as one of the single files that are split into multiple files for easy transmission. Another every day is data storage, as it helps you to save storage space due to its high compression ratio.
How to Open RAR file via WinRAR
WinRAR is a popular option for extracting and opening RAR files on any device. It supports various versions of devices. If you would wish to Open a file using WinRAR on your device, then you will need to follow the steps below:
- You first need to download WinRAR on your device. www.win-rar.com You can be able to download WinRAR’s preferred version.
- Run the Installer after the file might have been downloaded and follow the instructions that you see on the screen.
- Click OK to finish up the installation process.
- Open the RAR file, just by double-clicking on the .rar file and it will display in WinRAR.
- At the top of the WinRAR window or folder, click on the Extract To
- The Extracted files can now be saved in the folder where you save them.
How to Open RAR file on Mac
There are not many choices to extract RAR files on Mac as on more popular on the Windows platform. But there are a few, however, The Unarchiver is a great software app that is recommended to use, it has excellent support for multi-part archive files.
- To start, you first have to download The Unarchiver application on your Mac from Appstore or via this link https://theunarchiver.com/
- After downloading the app, you have to install it on your Mac.
- Launch The Unarchiver for you to be able to associate the file type with the App.
- You can now extract the RAR files after associating file types, just by double-clicking on the File.
- The Unarchiver will then create a folder using the same name as the archive.
- Extracts its contents to the new folder.
NOTE: If you are working with a multi-part RAR archive, then you will need to open the first file that is in the set. The Unarchiver will then handle the additional file that is in the set automatically.
WinRAR Supported Archive Format
There are the WinRAR supported and compatible following popular archive formats:
- RAR
- ZIP
- CAB
- TAR
- JAR
- GZ, Tar.GZ, and TGZ
- 7Z
- XZ
- Z
- ARJ
- BZ2 and TAR.BZ2
- LZH
- UUE
- ISO
These are the supported Archive formats or WinRAR
FAQs
How can I Open a RAR file without WinRAR?
These are steps that you can follow for you to be able to open a RAR file archive:
- You have to download and Install 7-Zip.
- After you might have installed 7-Zip, open Windows File Explorer.
- Navigate to the RAR file that you would wish to open.
- Right-click on the RAR file.
- Now you have to hover your mouse pointer over 7-Zip and then select Extract to folder Name in the slide-out menu.
How do I Open the RAR file on my iPhone?
Below are steps on how you can Open a RAR file on your iPhone using the Document application.
- Save the RAR file that you would want to unarchive to the Files app.
- Launch the Documents app on your iPhone.
- Click on the Files app on the My Files tab, and then navigate to the folder that contains the RAR file.
- Select the RAR file that you wish to extract.
How do I Convert a RAR file to a ZIP file?
These are the steps that you can follow to convert a RAR into a ZIP file.
- You have to choose the RAR file that you would want to convert/extract.
- Click on ZIP as the format that you to Convert your RAR file to.
- Now click on the Convert option to convert your RAR file.
How do I Unzip a Folder without WinRAR?
To Unzip the file you first have to follow the steps below:
- Open File Explorer and find the Zipped folder that you want to Unzip.
- Right-click on the Folder and select Extract All option, and follow the instructions.
- Now you have to unzip a single file or folder and then double-click on the Zipped folder for you to open it. Drag or you can copy the item from the zipped folder into a new location.