A file with the RAR extension is a compressed file created by WinRAR. This name is an abbreviation of Roshal Archive that we could translate as Roshal Archives, in honor of its author Eugene Roshal. These compressed files offer a wide variety of functionalities, such as better compression or the possibility of splitting and joining them later.
It must be taken into account that this format is just one of the many file types with these characteristics that we can use at the moment. In addition, over time it has gained the respect of users around the world for what is used in all kinds of environments, both personal and more professional.
Archives in RAR format stand out for being able to handle a large number of large files, supporting archives of up to 9,000 Petabytes, being the number of archived files, unlimited. They are also characterized by offering password protection with Rinjdael encryption (AES – 256) and advanced protection against damage that allows you to recover files in poor condition. In addition, they allow you to establish a lock against modifications and compress programmable self-extracting archives.
Thus, all this that we are discussing makes RAR one of the file compression and decompression formats most used by the majority of users.
Programs to open files in RAR
To be able to access the content of any RAR compressed file, it will be necessary to have a specialized program installed on our computer, such as the ones we are going to see below. And it is necessary to take into account that Microsoft’s own operating system is initially not capable of opening these specific files by default, as is the case with other formats. Therefore, we will be forced to use certain software solutions specially trained to work with these RAR files.
WinRAR, the most popular compressor
How could it be otherwise, the most popular program to open RAR files is none other than WinRAR. It stands out for its wide compatibility with other compression formats such as RAR, ISO, 7Z, ARJ, BZ2, JAR, LZ, CAB, etc. It has 128 and 256-bit AES encryption, allows files to be divided into separate volumes and saved on different disks. In addition, it offers bad file recovery, configurable anti-virus verification and secure deletion to remove sensitive data.
To use WinRAR we can download a 40-day free trial, which we can download from its . Its price is 36 euros, although it is possible to continue using it for free once the trial period has passed, as perhaps many of you already know first-hand, since this has been available for years. Once downloaded and installed we can open any RAR file that we have on our computer, in the cloud or on an external storage device.
Opening a RAR file with WinRAR is as easy as running the program once installed. In its interface, click on the “New” tab and then on “Open file”. Now through Windows Explorer we select the file and click on “Open”. In this way the file will be added to its interface and we will have access to all its content.
Another option to open the RAR file would be to right-click on it to bring up the Windows context menu. We go to the “Open with…” option and select WinRAR. Once again, its interface will appear with the content of the file that we have selected. It will also be possible to directly extract its content.
Once we are viewing the files that make up the RAR file, we just have to click on the “Extract to” button located at the top of the interface. Later we select where we want to extract them.
Highlight
The best for RAR, and the only one that can compress in that format. Prepared and optimized for RAR5. Lots of recovery features. It integrates with the operating system.
Needs improvement
Payment program, with 40 days of trial, and private.
7-Zip, the free alternative to WinRAR
It is another of the best-known file compressors that stands out for being open source and free. It includes its own file compression and decompression engine called 7Z. It is also compatible with other popular formats and, of course, it will allow us to open RAR compressed files.
To start using 7-Zip, the first thing to do is to download it for free and install it on our computer. Once this is done, we execute it and its interface will appear. Next, we must navigate through its search bar among the folders on our computer until we locate the compressed RAR file. Once located, we double click on it to show us all its content.
Another available option is to click on the RAR compressed file with the right mouse button. The Windows contextual menu will appear where we will see the 7-Zip section and click on the “Open compressed” option. In this way, the program interface will appear again showing the content of the file. We can also extract all its content by clicking on “Extract here” or “Extract file”
Once the RAR file is open, all that remains is to extract its content, something that we can also do very easily from the program’s interface. To do this, it will only be necessary to click on Extract and select the destination folder.
Positive points
Totally free and open source compressor. It uses the .7z engine to compress and decompress.
negative aspects
Ugly and impractical interface. It does not innovate in terms of functions, it only improves the engine. You can open RAR, but not compress into it.
PeaZip, compatible with a wide number of formats including RAR
It is a file compressor that stands out for being compatible with more than 180 different formats, offering the possibility of opening, viewing and extracting compressed files. Security is another of its important sections because it has secure encryption so that our files can be kept safe. As we can imagine, this program will also allow us to open RAR compressed files.
For this we must download it for free from the . It also has a portable version so that we can run it from any external storage device without the need for installation. Once we execute it, its main menu will appear. We will see that its appearance is quite similar to that of Windows Explorer, so the only thing that will be necessary is to navigate until we find the file that we want to open. To do this we will double click and it will appear directly on its interface.
It will also be possible to open a RAR file with PeaZip from the Windows context menu. To do this, right-click on the file, select open with and choose PeaZip from the list. In the event that the option does not seem to us, we must select “Open file with another application”, and from Windows Explorer look for its executable file.
Once we can view the files compressed in RAR, we can also easily extract it from the program’s interface. To do this, click on the Extract button and select the desired path where they will be stored.
We like
Totally free and open source. It is a “frontend” for 7Zip improved. Lots of options and very easy to use.
We do not like it
It does not allow compressing in RAR. Lack of innovation (does not integrate into the Windows 11 context menu).
IZArc, allows you to open different formats, including RAR
This is a very powerful file compressor for Windows that has a wide range of compatible formats, making it a great alternative to other more popular options for opening RAR files. It has the possibility of encrypting files using the AES algorithm with a key of up to 256 bits. In addition, it allows the repair of damaged ZIP files or the creation of self-extracting archives.
IZArc is a free compressor that we can safely download from your Once we install it and run it, a fairly simple interface appears. To be able to view any RAR file, we just have to click on the File tab and then on Open. Select the desired file and click OK. All its content will be shown to us in the program interface.
It will also be possible to open the file directly from the Windows context menu. To do this, right-click and in the Open with… section, select “Choose another option”. Here we select IZArc and the interface will automatically open showing us the content of the RAR file.
From the program interface we can decompress the content of our RAR file. To do this, we will only have to click on the Extract button that we find at the top of the screen. We will only have to select the path where we want the files to be stored and the program will take care of the rest.
Pros
Free compressor. It has very interesting functions, such as the possibility of repairing ZIP.
Cons
It does not compress in RAR.
BandiZip, compatible with RAR and RAR5
Another very popular compressor that supports more than 30 formats, including some like Zip, 7z and RAR or RAR5, which will allow us to open files in this format without complications. In addition, it includes other special functionalities such as a file repairer and password recovery and manager.
Bandizip has a free version that we can download. It also has a paid version to be able to opt for its additional functions. Once installed, we execute it, its interface appears where we will only have to click on Open file and select our RAR file so that all its content appears on the interface.
Another option that allows us is to open the file directly from the Windows context menu. To do this, right-click on it, go to the “Open with” option and select Bandizip, so that all the content appears directly in the program interface.
Once we can view all the content of our compressed file, we only have the possibility of decompressing it to access these files. To do this, from the program interface click on Extract and select the location where they will be stored.
The best
Light and easy to use. It has additional features, such as a password manager.
Worst
Full of advertising to force users to pay. Lack of innovation. It does not allow compressing in RAR.
NanaZip, a UWP from the Microsoft Store
The programs that we have seen so far are Win32 programs, which we must download and install from their respective websites. However, if we prefer to use the Windows store, and download the applications from there, we will also find programs with which to open RAR files and other compressed formats.
NanaZip is one of the best file compressors that we can find in the Microsoft Store. This program, completely free and open source, is a fork of 7-Zip to which a much more careful interface has been included, it…
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