How to Extract RAR Files

RAR is a popular archive format created by WinRAR. Unlike ZIP, it’s not built into operating systems — you need a separate tool. Plenty of free options exist.

On Windows

7-Zip (free, the standard): 7-zip.org

1. Install 7-Zip
2. Right-click the .rar file
3. 7-Zip → Extract Here or Extract to “folder name”
4. Files appear

WinRAR (free trial that never expires, $29 to register): the original creator. Free trial is fully functional.

PeaZip (free, open-source): another option with cleaner interface.

On Mac

The Unarchiver (free): theunarchiver.com or App Store. Set as default for .rar files.

1. Install
2. Double-click any .rar file → auto-extracts

Keka (free, $5 optional support): handles RAR plus many other formats.

Mac’s built-in Archive Utility doesn’t support RAR. You must install something.

On iPhone

iZip (free with paid extras): App Store. Open RAR files from Files/Mail/etc.

Documents by Readdle (free): handles RAR among many formats.

Files app alone: doesn’t handle RAR. Need a third-party app.

On Android

Google Files: handles ZIP but limited RAR support.

RAR (free from RARLAB): official from WinRAR’s makers.

ZArchiver (free): popular, handles many formats.

On Linux

Command-line:

unrar x archive.rar

(May need to install: apt install unrar or dnf install unrar)

GUI: most desktop environments handle RAR through their file manager when unrar is installed.

RAR vs ZIP

Feature	RAR	ZIP
Compression	Better than ZIP (typically 5-20% smaller)	Decent, universal
Universal support	No — needs extra tools	Yes — built into every OS
Multi-volume archives	Native support	Possible but awkward
Recovery records	Can repair some damage	No
Password protection	AES-256 encryption	Yes
Free creation	No (WinRAR is paid)	Yes

For sharing widely: ZIP wins. For maximum compression: RAR.

Multi-part RAR archives

Large RAR archives are often split into parts:

• archive.part01.rar
• archive.part02.rar
• archive.part03.rar

Or older naming:

• archive.rar
• archive.r00
• archive.r01

To extract: put all parts in the same folder, then extract from the first part. 7-Zip, WinRAR, The Unarchiver all handle this automatically.

If a part is missing or damaged: extraction fails. Re-download the missing piece.

Password-protected RAR

If the archive prompts for a password during extraction:

• Enter the password provided by the sender
• Or whoever shared the file

If you don’t know the password: legitimate tools cannot extract.

When extraction fails

“CRC error” or “corrupted”: download incomplete or file damaged. Re-download.

“Wrong password”: case-sensitive; try variations.

“Unsupported format”: the file claims .rar but might actually be a different format. Try renaming to .zip or .7z and extract.

“Out of disk space”: extracted content is larger than current free space.

Common scenarios

Game mods and add-ons: many distribute as RAR.

Pirated content: RAR is common (legal warning here — be aware of what you’re downloading).

Software archives from forum posts: often RAR.

Large file transfers: someone compressed many files using RAR for size savings.

Backups: some backup software uses RAR for compression.

Creating RAR files

To make RAR archives, you need WinRAR (paid for commercial use, free trial for personal). Alternatives create ZIP or 7z instead.

For most “I need to send compressed files” needs: create ZIP instead. Universal compatibility wins.

TL;DR

• Windows: install 7-Zip → right-click → 7-Zip → Extract
• Mac: install The Unarchiver → double-click
• iPhone: iZip or Documents by Readdle
• Android: RAR by RARLAB or ZArchiver
• Linux: unrar x archive.rar (install with package manager first)
• Multi-part archives: keep all parts together, extract the first
• Password-protected: get the password from the sender
• For sharing: use ZIP instead (universally supported)