.rar files
.rar file
RAR Archive
A proprietary archive format with better compression than ZIP and strong recovery features.
What opens a .rar file
- Windows
- File Explorer (built in, Windows 11), 7-Zip, WinRAR
- macOS
- The Unarchiver, Keka, BetterZip
- Linux
- Archive Manager / File Roller (built in, with unrar), Ark, unrar
What a .rar file is
RAR was written by Eugene Roshal and is only officially creatable with the paid WinRAR; extraction is free and widely implemented. Windows 11 has extracted RAR archives in File Explorer since the 2023 update, using the libarchive project, though it cannot create them or handle password-protected ones. Multi-part archives named .part1.rar, .part2.rar and so on need every piece present before extraction works.
Converting it
A .rar file is commonly converted to .zip, .7z or .tar. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.
Details
- Extension
- .rar
- Full name
- RAR Archive
- Category
- Archives
- MIME type
- application/vnd.rar
- Created by
- Eugene Roshal / win.rar GmbH
- Format
- Binary
Common questions
- How do I open a .rar file?
- On Windows use File Explorer (built in, Windows 11); on macOS use The Unarchiver; on Linux use Archive Manager / File Roller (built in, with unrar). A proprietary archive format with better compression than ZIP and strong recovery features.
- What is a .rar file?
- RAR Archive. RAR was written by Eugene Roshal and is only officially creatable with the paid WinRAR; extraction is free and widely implemented. Windows 11 has extracted RAR archives in File Explorer since the 2023 update, using the libarchive project, though it cannot create them or handle password-protected ones.
- Can I convert a .rar file?
- Yes. It is usually converted to .zip, .7z or .tar, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.
Related pages
- .zip — ZIP Archive The universal compressed folder — every operating system opens one with no extra
- .7z — 7-Zip Archive The open, high-compression archive format from 7-Zip, with proper AES-256 encryp
- .gz — Gzip Compressed File A single compressed file — it holds no folder structure of its own.
- .tar — Tape Archive A Unix bundle of files with no compression at all — usually paired with gzip.
- .tgz — Gzipped Tar Archive Shorthand for .tar.gz — a tar bundle compressed with gzip.
- .xz — XZ Compressed File LZMA2 compression — the tightest of the common Unix single-file compressors.
- .bz2 — Bzip2 Compressed File A compressed single file, slower than gzip but usually smaller.
- .sfx — Self-Extracting Archive Module The stub program archivers glue onto an archive to make it extract itself.
Sources
- Media Types Registry — IANA
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place