How to open Win Rar. How to open a rar file - all possible ways

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Sometimes when working with electronic information the question arises: “How to open a rar file?” If the user has not encountered such an extension, he will need to familiarize himself with the recommendations for installing the archiver program and using it to solve the problem that has arisen.

Zipped file– this is a kind of container with data, they are stored in one or several files in a compressed state. If you become the owner of such rar files (say, downloaded them from the Internet), you need to somehow bring them into a state that allows you to use the rar document in the usual way.

Some files compressed in this way may be parts of larger archives. To bring such files back to normal, the WinRar archiver is used. It splits a multi-volume archive into smaller files with volume names. Extensions can be different (.rar, .r00, .001, etc.). To unpack a multi-volume archive in rar format, you should always place them in a single folder, and start unpacking in volume order.

RAR is an English abbreviation for “Roshal Archiver”. Evgeniy Roshal is the author of the development of the algorithm that is used by the archiver when compressing data. There is another type of ZIP archive file, but the rar format we are considering has some advantages:

multi-volume archives (which is much more convenient);
continuous archives with stronger compression;
enhanced AES-128 data encryption;
archives are restored if data is damaged;
test and multimedia mode;
Unicode is supported to work with non-English file names.

To unpack and open rar files, you must use the native WinRAR application. But since this archive format is very popular, other utilities provide the ability to extract rar files (PeaZip, 7-Zip, etc.).

Utilities that open zipped files

Learn to use archivers. Here is the answer to the question: “What can I use to open a rar file?” There are several of them. And they must be present on every computer, since sooner or later you will have to deal with archived data. But the Windows and other OS standards do not provide tools for unpacking and opening archive formats, which is where difficulties arise, especially for novice users. To work with archive files, special programs are required.

WinRar

The reliability and ease of working with it can be explained simply - it was created by the person who invented this format. The utility can open a zipped file, and vice versa, compress it into this format. There is nothing complicated in installing (or in operating) the program. Its beauty is also that you won’t have to install any other archivers, since WinRar does an excellent job of unpacking other formats - ZIP, ARJ, TAR, GZip, LZH, ACE, CAB, ISO, BZIP2 and 7-Zip. When a new archive format appears, it is immediately added by the developers to the archiver.

Another feature is integration into the OS context menu with automatic association of all archive formats. Opening rar files does not require you to open the archiver itself. Double clicking on files with the appropriate extension will automatically open them. Extracting from the archive or adding to it is carried out in two steps.

7-Zip

Multi-format free program. Archiving is fast and the compression ratio is high. It works with most archive formats, including RAR, but the program cannot pack a file into this format.

IZArc

Another program that solves the problem of how to open a file with the rar extension. Multi-format archiver that works with RAR. The program can even compress data into many formats, but not RAR.

TUGZip

Doesn't support as many formats as the previous ones, but can repair damaged Zip archives. There are dozens of archivers with their own advantages and disadvantages, but the ones described above will be sufficient for working with packed data.

Setting up the Winrar archiver

First, you need to download the installation file in the language that is convenient for you. Launch it. For successful installation, simply agree to the license terms. In the settings window that opens, you need to check the boxes you need, but usually everything is left by default.

The associations block shows extensions that can be opened automatically. The “Interface” block adds shortcuts to the places the user needs. We also leave integration with Windows as is. Having installed the archiver, we solve the problem called “rar file does not open”.

Opening RAR files

You can do this in two ways.

Option 1: Hover your mouse over the file of interest and right-click on it. A pop-up window shows us the actions that are possible with our file. We are interested in the top three:

“Extract file” - select paths for unzipping from the menu;
“Extract file to current folder” - you should not do this when the archive file is placed with many others - after extraction it will be difficult to collect all the information.
“Extract to archive name” - the convenience of this option is that the unpacked files will end up in one folder.

This completes the unzipping. The information is ready to use.

Option 2: Double click on the archive file. This will open a program similar to Explorer. It will show you all the files hidden in the archive, which you can immediately open with a double click. This option is very useful if you need to solve the question of how to open a rar document on a computer from many files hidden in the archive.

Conclusion

How to open rar files? Several dozen programs have been created to unpack rar files, but it is best to use Winrar, which was made by the same developer who created the rar compression algorithm. There are no difficulties in installing and using the archiver. It also allows you to compress files into rar format, which can be very useful in a number of cases. This is done using an algorithm similar to unpacking.

You have received an email from a colleague or friend, where he happily informs you that he has sent you documents and photographs. But instead of several docs and jpgs, you are surprised to find in the attachment a single file with the extension .rar. What is this file and how to open it?

Rar – archive file extension. Archive programs appeared almost simultaneously with the advent of the first personal computers. The RAR format was born back in 1993. What are archivers needed for? In the 90s and 2000s, they were mainly in demand due to the ability to compress the volume of transferred data many times over. Floppy disks and even CDs contained a tiny amount of information compared to modern portable HDDs and flash drives. Now their most needed function is to compress information from many files into one for easy movement or storage.

Windows 7 cannot open rar archives by default. To be able to work with such files, you need to install a third-party archiver program on the system. There are a great many of them, and almost all of them can open rar files, and some can archive information in rar format.

We will look at the most popular of them.

WinRAR is the leader among archiving programs

Convenient and beautiful interface, effective compression method, the ability to decompress almost all currently used archive formats. It can create self-extracting archives in the form of exe files, which can be opened even on a computer without an installed archiver.

During installation, the program is added to the Windows 7 context menu, and when you click on the right mouse button, menu items offer you to compress or decompress selected files or folders:

An unpleasant feature is that it is distributed as shareware, i.e. A pop-up window will urge you to buy the program. You close the window and work, functionality does not suffer.

Download and install WinRAR

Download Russian version for Windows 7 64 bit:
http://www.win-rar.com/fileadmin/winrar-versions/winrar-x64-520ru.exe

If you need another language, then go to the office. website http://www.win-rar.ru/download/

Example of opening files using WinRAR

After installing the program, all files with the .rar extension will look like a stack of books, and when you click on them, they will open like this:

If you click on "Extract", then it will be extracted to the folder you selected. After which, in the future, the files in the folder can be viewed without using WinRAR.

You can also extract files from the archive by hovering the cursor over the file and right-clicking, as shown in the screenshot above.

WinZIP - the very first Windows archiver

The program is very convenient and easy to use, it can be added to the Explorer context menu, and can unpack all major archive file formats, including rar.

Feature – selects the compression level that is optimal for the selected file. Can create password protected archives.

Like WinRAR, it is also distributed as shareware.

7zip is the leader in terms of information compression

This absolutely free utility uses a special algorithm that allows you to achieve remarkable results in compressing archived data. Simple and friendly interface. It is built into the context menu, has a decent file manager, allows you to create self-extracting archives, and also encrypt data.

Can archive truly gigantic files. It handles rar like a charm. However, a high compression ratio has a downside - it works somewhat slower than its competitors.

Hello dear friends. Today we will focus on improving computer literacy. More precisely, I will show you how to open files with the rar extension and how to archive a file using the WinRAR program.

How to open archived files? is one of the most popular questions I receive from subscribers and buyers of my training courses. Naturally, the formulations are different, but the point is that many people have not yet learned how to use archivers and, accordingly, do not know how to work with data hidden in the archive.

I decided that it would be more logical to do a one-time detailed blog article than to talk individually about how to open a RAR file each time. If you perceive video better than text, then watch the video and everything will become clear to you; under the video I have duplicated the entire lesson in text format.

Program for opening RAR files

To open such archives, you can use several options for archivers; I reviewed them, but it is best to use WinRar. The program was created by the same person who came up with the compression algorithm itself, so it is best to use it. The program is free, so I recommend downloading the latest version from the official website. There are versions of WinRar in many languages, download the one you like - download Winrar.

When I was preparing the article, the developers' website opened a little crookedly - scroll down the page to see the download links.

How to configure the Winrar program?

After downloading the file, run it. During the installation process, you will only need to agree to the license agreement and that’s it. As soon as the program is ready, it will open a settings window in which you will need to check the necessary boxes. Basically, I leave everything as it is by default.

Associate WinRar with– this block shows which files will be opened automatically by this program. Where there is no checkmark, it will not open automatically. It is not necessary to check all the boxes, since we can always open an ISO or JAR file manually.

Interface – responsible for creating program shortcuts in different places. Here too, I leave everything by default, since opening the program is very rarely required, since it is built into the shell and works as a plugin (I wrote about plugins).

Integration with Windows shell– as I already wrote, WinRar is built into the operating system and here we choose exactly how this will be done. I do it exactly like in the picture.

Now let's figure out how the program works.

How to open a RAR file using WinRar?

There are two ways to open a RAR file in WinRar.

Option 1.

Right-click on the desired file. We see a list of possible actions with the file. There are 3 items in this list related to the archive.

“Extract file” opens a detailed menu in which you can specify any path to extract archive files.

“Extract file to current folder”, accordingly, unpacks all files into the same folder in which the archive is located. I don't recommend doing this if your RAR file is on your desktop or in some folder with a lot of other files. Extracted files may get lost among others

“Extract file archive name\”– in my example, post manager. In my opinion, this is the most convenient option. All files from the archive neatly end up in one common folder.

That's it - all the data you need has been extracted and you can use it. This is what I do 90% of the time.

Option 2

Double-click the left mouse button on the RAR file (just like you run any other file). A program window resembling Explorer opens. In this window you can navigate through folders and files that are hidden in the archive and even run them. This is necessary in cases where there are many files in the archive, but you need just one.

Remember, at the beginning of the article I said that the program is free. So, in fact, WinRar is a shareware program. This means that you can buy a license, but you can do without it. The functions of the licensed copy are no different from the free test copy. The only difference is a window offering to buy a license (it will begin to appear after 40 days of use). This window does not impose any restrictions on the work, just close it and that’s it - continue using the program.

Well, you’ve learned how to open archive files, but that’s not all. can create such archives and I will teach you how to do it easily and quickly.

How to use WinRar to create an archive?

You can pack the file into an archive using the same program – WinRar. This is done as simply as extracting from the archive. You can pack individual files, entire folders, and even a group of folders and files at the same time.

To do this, select the required files with the left mouse button and right-click on the selected objects.

In the menu that opens there are 4 items related to the work of the archiver. Usually only the first 2 are used. I'll start with the second one, since it's simpler and I use it more often.

Add “archive name” to the archive

Instead of the phrase “Archive name”, the name of the file you selected or the folder in which the selected files are located is automatically substituted.

Simply select this item and the program will begin packing the data - you won’t have to make any additional settings. At the output you will receive a file with the extension .rar and the name that was shown earlier. The file will be located in the same folder in which all the source materials are located.

Add to archive…

This option must be used if you want to give the archive you are creating some special functions. Now I will tell you more about them. After selecting the add to archive option, the following window will open:

At the very top, you can set the archive name you need; it may differ from the default one; also, by clicking on the “browse” button, you can change the location where the created archive will be saved.

Configuring archive parameters

ZIP is also an archive file format. Its advantage is that .zip files can be read by many programs and services without installing additional programs; in particular, Windows can work with it even without WInRar. But the compression ratio of this format is much worse.

RAR5 has just appeared, with the release of the fifth version of the archiver. I haven't used it yet, so I can't say anything. I don’t use it yet, because I’m not sure of its compatibility with older versions of archivers.

RAR is the default - use it.

After choosing a format, you need to choose a compression method. In the drop-down list, everything is clear - stronger compression will take longer to process files, a high-speed compression method will make the file size a little larger.

I leave the dictionary size at default.

Divide into volumes of size– this function allows you to divide the final archive file into several parts, they will be marked as part1, part2, etc. This is necessary in cases where:

the final archive file is very large and, for example, does not fit on your flash drive
you need to cut files into CDs or DVDs, and the amount of data is more than can fit
if you are using a 32-bit operating system, then the files should not exceed 4 GB, it does not see more.

In a word - you need to cut the file - set the sizes of the pieces that you need.

You can set standard sizes from the drop-down list or enter a number in the box and select b, kb, MB, GB on the right. If you are not very versed in the units of measurement of information, then, there I described in detail how much is in 1 GB MB, etc.

On the right side of the window you can configure accessibility options.

Update method needed if you already have an archive created and you are creating an updated one with the same name. If you are creating a RAR file for the first time, then do not pay attention to this point; if you already have an archive with the same name, then select the desired method of replacing or updating files.

Archiving options– most of the points here are clear by name, so I will focus only on those that may raise questions.

What is SFX?– this function allows you to create self-extracting archives. If you check the box next to it, the output you will get is not a RAR file, but an EXE file. The size will be larger, but to unpack such an archive you will not need an archiver program. If WinRar is not installed, the archive will still be unpacked.

Lock archive– this function allows you to protect the archive from changes. You can extract files from it without problems, but you won’t be able to make changes inside the archive.

Settings button – “set password”. If you need to protect your data, you can set a password. In this case, you can retrieve data only after entering the password you set.

What files need to be archived?

At first glance, it may seem that you need to pack all files for transfer, but this is not the case. Many data formats are already maximally compressed by themselves, and it is almost impossible to reduce their size using archivers, or the compression will be minimal, and this process will take a lot of time.

There is no point in compressing the following files:

archive files are logical, they are already compressed.
music files mp3, wma, etc.
image files jpg, jpeg, png, etc.
most video files. The only exception I can name is mp4 - this format usually compresses well.
disk image files iso, nrg and the like. As a rule, already compressed data is written to disks, therefore, the effect of additional compression will be minimal.

Good luck, Dmitry Zhilin

Hello, friends! How to open a rar file? The question occurs to all users when mastering a computer in more detail. On the Internet, almost all information that can be downloaded is presented in the form of archived files with the extensions rar, zip and others. This is convenient because you can collect several files into one and compress them for transfer or uploading to the server. Users will have to open this archive (rar file) or, in other words, unzip it.

The file is opened simply using the WinRAR program. You can download this program from the official website at

selecting your language from the list. You don't have to change any settings when installing the program. For convenience I put Nested context menus and in the Associate WinRAR with field: click Choose all because I want ISO files to open by default. You can get additional information about ISO files (images) in the article As a result, you will have one line in the context menu with a drop-down list of operations
After installing this program, you can already open files with the rar extension. For those who want to learn about how to archive (create rar files) and use additional functions of this wonderful program, read on. You can also watch the video at the end of the article, in which I show all these goodies.

How to create a rar archive (file)?

To create an archive, you need to call the context menu on a file or folder (you can select several objects using the Shift or Ctrl key. Select the item in the menu WinRAR > Add to archive…
Click OK, wait depending on the amount of data being archived and the power of your computer, and you receive the archive. The rar file is ready. Let's take a closer look at some interesting features.

Compression method. A parameter that determines how well or strongly your data will be compressed. When choosing the maximum method, the archive creation time will increase, but the archive will take up minimal space on .
You need to choose a method for your needs.

Volume separator size. This field allows you to split the archive (rar file) into parts of a certain size
It is possible to choose from those already installed. The program also remembers your entered delimiters, in my case it is 200 MB. In the adjacent drop-down list you can select the size for convenience. If you need to open a rar file consisting of several parts, you must have all the parts in one place (folder). Otherwise, WinRAR will generate an error and you will not be able to open the rar file.

Archiving parameters (creating a rar file)

Delete files after packaging - an archive is created and the original files are deleted
Create SFX archive - creates an archive with the extension exe which can be unpacked (opened) without any archivers by simply running it. An excellent option if you are not sure whether a person will be able to open the archive you created
Create a continuous archive. Allows you to compress your files more. The compression will be greater the more files you archive and the smaller the average file size. When using this option, there may be problems with adding, deleting and changing files in the archive
Add an electronic signature - the name of the author, the time of the last update of the archive and its original name are added to the rar file. This function is only available for the registered version of WinRAR
Add recovery information - in case of damage to the archive (rar file), the likelihood of successful information extraction increases. The archive size will be slightly increased
Test the files after packaging - as I understand it, if problems arise when reading the resulting rar file after packaging, WinRAR will display a warning
Lock archive - an option that allows you to prevent changes to the created rar file. When changing a document in the archive, the program will issue a warning

pressing Yes will display a diagnostic message

about the impossibility of changing a locked archive. I also couldn’t delete files from a blocked archive.

Go to the tab Additionally. Clicking the button Set password… In the window that opens, you can enter a password to open the rar file.
In this case, files can be deleted without any passwords. If you have deleted the file you need, you can read in the article about how to try to restore them. These are the interesting functions that the WinRAR archiver provides us with.

You can also open files with the rar extension using the popular 7-zip archiver or the archiver built into Total Commander. In the case of 7-zip, you also need to download the program and install it.

After installation, an item will appear in the context menu with drop-down options just like WinRAR
I hope in the question how to open rar file You have no dark spots left.

Video in which I show all of the above
If you use or know additional interesting functions of WinRAR, 7-zip or use another program, please write in the comments.