How to Open a RAR File on Windows

While RAR files are incredibly useful, they can be quite troublesome if you don't know how to open them on Windows 10. This article focuses on four ways to extract and open RAR files on Windows 10. We'll explore both free and paid options, so read on to avoid missing any important info.

What's a RAR file? A RAR file is a popular compressed archive format created by Eugene Roshal and commonly used with the WinRAR software. It lets users pack multiple files and folders into one archive for more convenient storage, transfer, and sharing. The RAR format provides a higher compression rate than others and includes features like split archives, error detection, and repair capabilities. Unlike the more widespread ZIP format, RAR files often offer advanced compression settings and better compression outcomes. However, since RAR isn't a universal standard, these files might not be accessible on computers without software like WinRAR or 7-Zip installed.

The Roshal Archive, commonly referred to as a RAR file, is a computer archive file format used to organize various files, folders, and documents. The data within a RAR file is compressed, reducing its digital footprint, which makes it easier to copy, transmit, and store. This compression feature that shrinks the size of the contents differentiates RAR files from regular folders on a computer.

However, when you convert your file to RAR format, you can't access its contents unless you use a specialized software or tool to extract the compressed files from the RAR file. This highlights the difference between ZIP and RAR, as ZIP files don't require any third-party software for extraction, unlike RAR files.

There are several different tools you can use to extract RAR files. The most popular RAR extraction tool is currently WinRAR, but there are other options. For example, you can use 7-Zip to extract RAR files. There are also specialized utilities for it, or you could use an online decompression service.

How to Open RAR Files on Windows 10 Using a Tool/App

There are many applications that let you extract and open RAR files on Windows 10. These include both paid tools and free solutions, like WinRAR and 7-Zip. In this section, we'll explore both WinRAR and 7-Zip, and look at how to open RAR files on Windows 10 with each of them.

• Using WinRAR
• Using 7-Zip

Use WinRAR

First, let's start with using a Windows RAR opener to open RAR files on Windows 10. Since RAR is a proprietary format, the first step to using WinRAR is, of course, to download the tool and log in with your license and credentials.

Once you have it, opening a RAR file is just a few steps away.

Step 1. Locate the file on your computer that you want to open, and double-click it. Since you have WinRAR installed, this will automatically open the file in the WinRAR window.

Step 2: From there, you can extract your files. You can also right-click on the archive and choose “Extract To…” to open your files without going into the WinRAR window.

Step 3: The WinRAR window that appears when you double-click on the RAR file should look like this.

Step 4 . You can view all the compressed files within the RAR. You can extract and open them from here, as well as perform various operations like adding, deleting, and viewing files.

5. To open these files, click the “Extract” button on the WinRAR toolbar.

Step 6: When you click “Extract,” a dialog box will appear, asking you to choose where you want to save the extracted files. You can extract the files to any location on your computer. Find the destination folder in the dialog box, or type its path directly into the address bar.

Step 7: When you're done, click "OK" in the bottom-right corner to extract the files.

Click "OK."

Using 7-Zip

7-Zip is a free tool you can use to open RAR files on Windows 10. Since WinRAR is a paid program that requires a license, 7-Zip is a popular alternative.

Step 1: Once you have downloaded 7-Zip, launch the program. A window will appear that lists your drives and so on. Here, you need to find the file you want.

This image shows the interface of 7-Zip.

Step 2. Once you've found the RAR file, right-click on it.

Step 3. Right-clicking will give you several options. Choose “7-Zip,” and then decide whether you want to extract the files to a different location than where the RAR file is. If not, click “Extract Here.”

Step 4: 7-Zip will then extract your RAR files, and you can use them as you please.

How to Open RAR Files on Windows 10 Using an Online Tool Opening RAR files on Windows 10 doesn't necessarily require additional software. You can use an online tool for this purpose. Here's how: 1. **Choose an Online Unzip Tool**: First, you'll need to find a reliable online RAR unpacking tool. Some popular choices include Zamzar, Online-Convert, and RAR Opener. Make sure the website you choose is secure and respects your privacy. 2. **Access the Website**: Enter the URL of the online tool you've chosen into your browser and navigate to its homepage. 3. **Upload the RAR File**: Most online tools will have a "Select File" or "Upload File" button. Click this, locate the RAR file you want to unzip from your computer, then click "Open" to upload it. 4. **Choose Output Format**: Since you likely just want to extract the contents, the output format should default to unzipping to ZIP or another common format. If a different format is needed, select that option accordingly. 5. **Start the Unzipping Process**: After confirming the settings, click "Start Conversion" or a similar button to begin the extraction process. This may take some time, depending on the size of the file. 6. **Download the Unzipped Files**: Once the extraction is complete, the tool will usually provide a link for you to download the unzipped files. Click the link and save them to your computer. 7. **Security Considerations**: Remember that using online tools can involve data security concerns. Ensure the files you upload don't contain sensitive information, and only use reputable services. Keep in mind that this method might not be suitable for large or archive files with many contents due to the time it takes for uploading and downloading. For regular use, installing a local RAR unpacking software like WinRAR or 7-Zip could be a more convenient and quicker option.

If you don't want to download any tools to open a RAR file, you can also use an online file unzipper to open RAR files on Windows 10. There are quite a few different tools that will do the job, but the most popular are Archive Extractor Online and ezyZip.

• Use the Archive Extractor Online
• Use ezyZip

Utilize an Online Archive Extractor

Step 1: To use this tool, you'll need to go to its official website. There, you can drag and drop your RAR file.

Step 2. Alternatively, you can click on the "Select File" button and browse to where your file is located.

Step 3: Once you select the file, the tool will start extracting it, and it will show the progress through a progress bar.

Step 4. Once extraction is successful, the files contained in the RAR will show up on the webpage. You can select which ones to download from here.

Select the file to download.

Step 5: Click on any of the files, and it will automatically start downloading.

Click on the file you wish to download.

Using ezyZip

Another free online tool you can use to open RAR files is ezyZip. Visit the ezyZip website and choose the RAR file you want to open. You can even extract RAR files directly from Dropbox, which is very convenient.

(Picture: ezyzip.png, Height 239 pixels, Width 700 pixels)

Once you select the RAR file, ezyZip will unzip it and provide you with a list of extracted files that you can preview and save to your computer.

Conclusions

In this article, we introduce four methods to open RAR files on Windows 10. After reading this article, you should be able to easily use any of these four methods to open your RAR files.