How to open RAR files

Wondering how to open RAR files that you have sometimes downloaded from your webmail or from a file sharing site, then continue reading this article as it will show you the exact procedures on how to open RAR files on Mac and Windows PC.  Before we get in to detail, we will first learn what is a RAR file format is and why they are so popular these days.

What is a RAR file:

The RAR (Roshal Archive) file format was originally developed by a Russian software engineer, Eugene Roshal and is now licensed by WinRAR GmbH.  Files which you download with .rar extension will contain one or more files within it as a compressed format.  All RAR file extension files support file spanning, data compression and error recovery.

If you have downloaded a .rar file, then you would need a special application or program to unpack the contents and use it.  Also the same application can be used to create .rar files as well.

Why RAR files are Popular:

Today, most of the files that are shared on the Internet and webmail are in .rar files.  The main reason behind this is because of its higher compression ratio and safety, comparing to the other available typical ZIP compression formats.  Some advantages of .rar file format are as follows:

1. RAR files are generally smaller in size than the source file.
2. It supports AES encryption which easily protects all your sensitive data and documents.
3. In the event of any damage, most portions of the .rar files can be recovered easily.
4. Compression time of a source file to .rar file format is less when compared with any other compression formats.
5. You can open RAR files on Mac, a Windows PC or a Linux machine easily.

How to open RAR files on Windows:

While there are several software’s available to open RAR files on Windows PC, we will just focus only on the two popular tools, WinRAR and 7-Zip.

How to open RAR files with WinRAR:

WinRAR is a simple application that lets you pack and unpack .rar file extension quickly and easily.  You can download the WinRAR application directly from http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm and install it on your computer just like you do with other applications.  Now follow the below given steps to pack and unpack a file successfully.

1. Once you have successfully installed the WinRAR application on your computer, you will see a WinRAR icon on your desktop. You have to double click the icon to open the application.
2. Now select the files (ctrl + click) you want to archive and click on the “Add” icon.  On the opened pop-window enter the appropriate archive name, format, and location, then click “Ok”.
3. A .rar file extension folder will be created in the given name and location.  When you unpack or extract the file you will find all the contents that you’ve added in it.
4. Another simple way to compress a file is by right clicking on it and selecting “Add to name.rar” and for unpacking or extracting simply right click on a .rar file and then select “Extract here” or “Extract to name file”.

If you are planning to password protect your file using WinRAR application, then just follow the simple steps:

1. Open the WinRAR application and add the file for which you want password protection.
2. Click “Add files to archive” or “Alt+A” and select “Advanced” tab.
3. Click on “Set password” and enter your desired password.
4. Now click OK and a password protected WinRAR file will be created on the mentioned location.

Note: You won’t be able to extract a password protected RAR file, unless you know the right password. So store your password in a safe place before you delete the source file.

How to open RAR files with 7-Zip:

7-Zip is a free third-party open source application that can be used only to unpack or extract the .rar files, unlike WinRAR that supports both packing and unpacking RAR files.  You can download the application easily from http://www.7-zip.org.  Below steps will guide you through the packing and unpacking process.

1. Once you’ve downloaded the application, just double click the executable file to start the installation process.
2. Once the program is successfully installed, you will see “7-Zip” option when you right click on any file.
3. To extract a .rar file just right click on it and go to “7-Zip” and then select “Extract to filename”.
4. Now you will see a folder with the same name of that of the source .rar file.  The folder will have all files and documents in it, which were compressed using a WinRAR tool.

Note: The 7-Zip program tool can only be used to extract or unpack .rar files, but cannot create it.  So, you would need commercial WinRAR software for that process.

Some of the other programs for Windows PC that can unpack or extract RAR files include WinZip, Zipeg, PeaZip and StuffIt.

How to open RAR files on MAC:

If you were a MAC user then you would find it difficult to open .rar extension files without a proper program.  Just like Windows, you can also find several RAR extraction programs available for download for MAC OS as well.

Some of the third-party .rar file unpacking programs that will solve your problem on how to open RAR files on MAC include The Unarchiver, StuffIt Expander for Mac, UnRarX, WinZip Mac Edition and Zipeg.

You can also download the command line only version of WinRAR software that is specifically available for Mac OS X users.