At some point, everybody receives a file they're not sure how to open. Windows doesn't natively support all file formats, so sometimes you need special software. The RAR format is a very common example. RAR was developed in 1993 by Eugene Roshal for compressed archives, similar to ZIP files you can create with Windows. It can contain numerous other files, much like a folder, but those files are compressed to take up less space on a disk, making it easier to share those files.
The RAR file is pretty widely used, but until recently,Windows 11 still couldn't open these kinds of files. Thankfully, with Windows 11 version 23H2, Microsoft finally added native support for RAR files, so you no longer need a third-party program to open them. That being said, such third-party programs may still offer a more robust experience, so it depends on your needs.
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How to open and extract RAR files with File Explorer
If you have the latest version of Windows 11, you can open RAR files on your PC without having to install any additional software, and they work just like ZIP files.
- Open File Explorer and navigate to where your RAR file is.
- Double-click the file to open it and see its contents.
- To extract files from the archive, select the ones you want (you can pressCtrl + A to select everything at once).
- Right-click the files and chooseCopy, or pressCtrl + C.
- Navigate to the destination folder of your choice and pressCtrl + V to paste the extracted files.
Alternatively, if you want to extract the files without opening the RAR archive:
- Navigate to the folder where your RAR archive is.
- Right-click it and chooseExtract All...
- ClickBrowse to look for a target destination folder.
- Once you're in the folder you want, clickSelect folder in the bottom right corner.
- ClickExtract.
The target folder will automatically open with your extracted files.
The ultimate guide to File Explorer on Windows 11
File Explorer is one of the most essential tools in Windows 11, but you may not know everything about it. Let's take a closer look.
How to open RAR files with WinRAR
As we've mentioned, various programs can open RAR files these days, but for this guide, we'll stick with the original one. WinRAR was designed specifically to work with RAR files, and it's still one of the best ways to open them. Here's what you need to do:
- Go to the officialWinRAR download page and download your preferred version of WinRAR. For most modern PCs, we recommend the x64 (64-bit) version.
You'll also see programs for Mac and Linux here, but they're only command-line based. There's also RAR for Android, in case you want to open RAR files on your phone. And if you want WinRAR in a different language, there are various translated versions below that, too.
- Once the file is downloaded, run theinstaller and follow the instructions. You'll eventually see this screen:The list of file types on the left side shows all the files WinRAR will automatically open. There's a reason ISO and JAR aren't selected, and we'd recommend leaving the settings as they are.
- ClickOK and finish up the installation process.
- Navigate to theRAR file you want to open and double-click it. It will open in WinRAR. You may see a big message warning you to buy a WinRAR license, but you can just clickOK on it.
- You can double-click a file to temporarily extract it and open it immediately, or you can extract them to a permanent folder on your PC for easy access.
- If you want to extract all the files, select them all (Ctrl + A) or don't select any, and then clickExtract To in the toolbar at the top. If you select any files, only the selected ones will be extracted.
- You'll see a window to choose the destination for your files. The extracted files will go directly into the location you select, so if you don't want them to get mixed with other files, make sure to create a new folder for them. ClickOK and the files will be extracted.
- Once the process finishes, you can open the Windows File Explorer and navigate to the folder you extracted them to. You can also access these files with other software - say, if you want to open a picture in Photoshop.
Opening RAR files is much easier today
And that's all you need to know about how to open RAR files on your Windows PC. If you want to extract entire files without opening them, you can also right-click a RAR file in File Explorer, move your mouse overWinRAR in the context menu, and select one of the extraction options available.
You can also easily create RAR archives yourself with WinRAR. You can select the files or folders you want to compress, mouse overWinRAR, and choose one of the options to add the files to an archive.
