Much of the information on the Web is stored in the form of an archive - data compressed to combine several files together or reduce its original size. For archiving and extraction, special programs and services are used. Most of them can open a RAR file on a computer, one of the most popular formats for Windows. And in order to work with such archives, you should choose the appropriate option.
What is RAR and how can I open it?
The abbreviation RAR stands for Roshal ARchive - after the name of the developer of the file archive format. The advantages of this compression technique are a significant reduction in data size, the ability to set passwords and split large files into several parts. A whole group of programs can solve the problem of extracting information from the RAR format:
- WinRAR is the first and most functional application for working with archives. It can be used to both create a RAR file and unpack it. However, you will have to pay for the use - or periodically observe a message about the need to pay when you open the archive.
- PeaZip is a freeware archiver written in the Free Pascal language and at the same time being a graphical frontend for other similar applications.
- 7-Zip is a popular utility that provides high compression and archiving in the proprietary 7z format. It can handle both RAR files and dozens of other archive extensions.
- FreeArc is a free archiver for Windows and Linux, first created for 32-bit systems, but in 2017 it received support for 64-bit software and a new compression algorithm.
- WinZip - shareware paid application which is one of the most popular ways to open a RAR file and create a new archive.
One of better ways unpacking RAR files are online services www.online.b1.org/online and www.unzip-online.com/en, which allow you to obtain information from an encrypted file without the use of additional software. The services are free, but they have certain limitations - for example, on the Unzip-online website, you can extract data from archives no more than 200 MB. Another unzip can be found www.extract.me/ru - an online program that allows you to extract a file from more than 70 different formats, including RAR, ZIP and 7z. 
Opening RAR using programs
An archiver is a program that allows you to first pack one or more files into archives and then extract them. Due to the popularity of the RAR format, many applications are designed to work with it. Not everyone provides such compression - however, there are utilities that not only create archives, but also provide several ways to compress and decompress.
Archiver settings allow associating them with archive file formats. That is, set by default in which program to open these archive formats. Different archivers have different icons for the same formats, in this case RAR. With the help of these icons, the user can determine which program will open the archive by default by double-clicking the LMB. With this type of launch, the archive will open in the archiver program window, where it is possible to view the contents of the RAR and make any manipulations. But it is inconvenient to work with the contents of the archive in this way, so it is better to extract it for later work. 
The most popular program for opening RAR files in Windows, WinRAR, after installation allows you to perform three actions with archives - select the extraction location, extract to the same folder, move data to the directory with the same name. The step-by-step steps to open a RAR file will be as follows:
Another popular program that allows you to open a RAR file is called 7-zip. After installing the utility, a command for unzipping 7-zip appears in the context menu, and when you hover over it, a submenu with unpacking options appears, as in WinRAR. By right-clicking on the RAR file, the user selects unpacking - and the archive is unpacked on the computer. Opening and operations can also be carried out in the program window. 
Opening a RAR archive using online services
Online services are one of the ways to open a RAR file when the archiver program cannot be installed. This option is suitable for lazy users, or because of restrictions in working with a PC, for example, when restricting the installation of programs. One of the most popular ways to open an archive is to use the Unzip service. It is located at https://extract.me/ru/ and allows you to perform the following actions:
- Download archives from your PC, cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, and even from a link.
- Work with dozens of formats;
- Open information in an archive divided into several parts and protected by a password.
To work with archived data, you just need to go to the main page of the resource and download them in one of the possible ways. Click the "Select file" button, specify the path, select the archive and click "Open" or drag the archive into the marked area on the site. 
After that, a list of data from the archive appears on the screen, allowing you to download files separately by clicking on them, download everything in ZIP format by clicking on the corresponding button. The advantage of this method is online unzipping, the disadvantage is the inability to download the entire folder at once, since each file will have to be saved to disk separately, but this is compensated by the fact that with Windows 7 and higher the ZIP format is extracted regular means.
What to do if RAR won't open?
Sometimes, when trying to open a RAR file on Windows 10 or other versions of the operating system, you may encounter archive corruption or the presence of a password. In the case of a password, information can be extracted only by knowing the combination of characters or using a special program. In case of data corruption, the built-in function of the WinRAR utility will help to extract files from RAR, but not the fact.
To attempt to recover information, perform the following steps:
The second way is the usual unpacking using context menu... Specifying the extraction option, select the item with manual settings... Then they put a tick in front of the item that will leave damaged files on the disk, so that they can recover at least some of the information. Then press OK. 
If the archived information is password protected in the operating room Windows system will help you to restore them from the archive Advanced program Archive Password Recovery. It works with several formats, including RAR, and picks combinations at great speed, supporting search by mask or dictionary. The maximum length of passwords is not limited - but only in the paid version. The free application works with combinations of no more than 4 characters. Although sometimes this is enough to open a RAR file on Windows 7, protected by passwords like "111" or "777".
Acquainted with different ways open the RAR file type in Windows, you can extract information from whole, damaged and protected archives. The best option for the user is to install the WinRAR archiver or free utility 7-zip. With their help, you can work with the RAR format, although the paid application has more functionality.
Users personal computers often wondering how to unpack WinRAR archive... In our day-to-day business, we most often come across files in the ZIP format, but the RAR extension has many advantages, offering more efficient compression and the ability to recover corrupted data. The WinRAR application even provides users with the ability to split the archive into several parts, and this greatly simplifies the transfer of information over the Internet.
How to unpack RAR in Windows OS?
Unpack ZIP files is possible on many operating systems without using third-party software. But RAR usually requires a dedicated application. Windows users have the option to buy a paid version of the WinRAR tool to open archives.
Simplicity is considered the main advantage of WinRAR: even an inexperienced user will understand how to unzip a file in it. This is an archiver that was developed simultaneously with the RAR extension and was created specifically to work with it.
But most users will likely want to download one of several free applications from the Internet that can work with this extension.
If you are interested in how to unzip an archive, you can use the free 7-ZIP program for Windows, and for this you need to follow these steps:
- Download, install and run the application. To do this, go to the 7-ZIP download page and select the link corresponding to the appropriate software version. Alternatively, you can look for the download link on other sites. In the installer, select the destination folder for the application and click the "Install" button in the lower right corner of the window. After the installation is complete, you can click the Finish button and run the program.
- Find archive using 7-ZIP. To do this, you need to find the RAR file that you want to unpack using the program interface. You need to find the appropriate folder and click on the archive 2 times to access its contents. Alternatively, you can right-click on the specified file and select the "Open" option at the top of the drop-down menu that should appear.
- Open or copy a file. Now you just need to double click on the RAR file to start unzipping it. If you want to save a file in a specific location on your computer, you need to select it and click the "Copy" button located under the navigation bar. Then you should select the path to save the file in the pop-up window and click the OK button in the lower right corner.
RAR Opener
If you are wondering how to unpack a RAR file, then there are other applications that can be used for this purpose. Despite the fact that 7-ZIP is considered to be an excellent tool for opening archives, an alternative solution can be found.
The RAR Opener tool is available as a free download from the Microsoft Store. The application is very simple program similar to a plugin. The tool offers several large blue buttons for packing and unpacking RAR archives. It integrates with Windows 10 and does a great job with formats like RAR, ZIP, TAR, LZH, etc.
How to unpack RAR on MacOS?
The old but reliable Unarchiver outperforms the built-in archive unpacker that ships with macOS in many ways. The program offers support for a large number of file extensions and additional features that are very similar to those of 7-ZIP.
Although the Unarchiver lacks the ability to create RAR archives, it allows you to easily unpack this format. Unzip the data, for this you need to do the following:
- Download, install and run the Unarchiver. To do this, go to the download site and click the "Download" button in the middle of the page, or find the application on Mac App Store... Then complete the installation and run the program.
- Extract and open the archive. To do this, you need to find and open the file using the application's browser. Make sure the checkbox next to RAR Archive (or other formats you want to open) is checked, select the "Extraction" tab located at the top of the application window. Specify the location to save the resulting file from the drop-down menu at the top of the window. Right-click on the RAR file you want to open and select Unarchiver from the drop-down menu next to the "Open with" option.
- The application will automatically create and save the unzipped data with the same folder name as the RAR archive in the previously specified location. Then just double-click on the archive to launch it in the corresponding program.
UnRARX is a simple software that works quickly and offers the ability to recover corrupted data. You need to download the application, launch it and drag any RAR files into the window, after which they will be unpacked.
The program interface is extremely simple. This is a great option for those who don't want to spend their time exploring the application's capabilities.
Every PC user or smartphone owner is regularly faced with different archive formats. RAR is a common extension used to compress files on most operating systems. In this article, we will explain in detail how to open a RAR file on all types of devices: from a computer to a phone.
Format Description
RAR is a type of archive file, meaning it contains other compressed files. The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a "packed" form. Let's list the advantages of the RAR format:
- the maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited;
- envisaged the creation multivolume archive(consisting of several parts);
- password protection of the contents of the archive is provided;
- the error correction is provided.
By the way, RAR stands for Roshal ARchiver, the format got its name from the name of its creator, Russian programmer, Roshal Evgeny Lazarevich.
To view and edit files inside the archive, you need to extract them special program to open RAR files.
How to open RAR
A proven way to open RAR regardless of the version of the Windows operating system is to install the necessary software. Whether it's the current Windows 10 or the gradually aging 7, the list of programs will not change. Popular utilities compatible with Windows 7:
- - an archiver from the creator of the RAR format, what could be more stable? Built into Windows Explorer - no need to run the program to create and unpack archives.
- - a free analogue of WinRAR, you can download 7-Zip from the official website, you don't have to register and pay for the archiver.
- - a similar handy tool to open all kinds of archive formats through Windows Explorer.
Open RAR online
If the computer is someone else's or there is no constant need for an archiver, then it is not even necessary to install programs. Unpack RAR archive online using trusted web services:
- Archive Extractor is an accessible and understandable unzip in Russian that allows you to import a packed file from a computer, google disk, dropbox or by link.
- B1 online - this English-language archiver allows you to easily open the RAR archive online, and you will be able to understand the interface even if you do not speak a foreign language.
- Unzip online, like the previous service, is easy to use - downloaded the archive, waited for unpacking, downloaded the file.
Open RAR on iPhone
The Notes app is one of the most convenient ways to open RAR on iPhone:
- download the archive via an Internet browser;
- at the end of the download, select "Open in" and click Notes;
- RAR file is open.
Another uncomplicated alternative is to download file manager, extraction of archives is part of the functionality of this application. Another option is a free app that downloads without in-app purchases. As in the first case, download the document from the network and open it with the manager.
Open RAR on Android
On Android, a standard file explorer is usually enough to extract files from the archive, as is the case with iOS. However, if the zipped files could not be unzipped, download the application and work safely with most of the known archive extensions.
Open RAR on macOS
To open RAR on Apple computers, you also need third-party software:
- You can get this archiver in the App Store for free, and an intuitive setting will allow you to work with RAR without a headache.
- – free version programs are suitable only if you need to unpack the RAR file, but no more.
Open corrupted archive
Work with a damaged archive with the help is carried out in two stages:
- Repairing a damaged archive
- Select the required archive.
- Click the "Fix" button at the top or hold down the Alt + R key combination.
- In the window that opens, select "Treat damaged archive as RAR".
- Unpacking
- Select the recovered archive in WinRAR, extract the files.
- You will see the "Extraction path and parameters" window.
- Select "Leave corrupted files on disk", then click "Ok".
This should help open the surviving archive files.
Video instruction
For reading 8 min. Views 11.3k. Posted on 11.09.2017
Very often, users ask themselves the question: "How to open a RAR file?". This file format is quite popular and is used in all versions of Windows, Linux, MacOS and even Android, but for some reason it causes difficulties when opening for users.
RAR is a special file compression format, in fact it is an archive that has a high compression ratio, because of this, it has gained high popularity on the Internet.
To open RAR archives, the generally recognized WinRAR utility is most often used, which allows both creating archives and extracting files from them.
When working with the WinRAR application, the user can create compound and multivolume archives, as well as set a password on them. On the this moment, there are a huge number of different archivers that can work with the Rar compression format. I propose to consider the most best programs for different operating systems.
How to open a RAR file on Windows
If you have already paid attention, you probably noticed that by default there is a standard option to open only Zip archives. Therefore, users often simply cannot open the RAR archive until they download a special utility. If you do not know what exactly you need, then consider several options.
WinRaR
Probably the most popular archiver for the Windows operating system. WinRar is able not only to open and extract files from an archive, but also allows the user to create archives on their own.
Download the program, as always, from the official website of the developer - www.win-rar.ru/download/.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the program is shareware. There is a 30 day trial version which allows the user to familiarize himself with all the functions.
FROM installed program WinRar in order to put a file into an archive, just right-click on it and select "Add to archive".
To unpack compressed file, just click on it with the left mouse button and in the program window that opens, click on the "Extract" button, which is located in the toolbar. 
Main functions of WinRAR:
- Ability to create archives no more than 8GB;
- Yes, attachment Email, locking the archive and more;
- Recovery of damaged archives;
- The presence of a file manager;
7-zip
Another equally popular archiver created in 1999. The main advantage of 7-zip is that it is completely free and open source. The program has two versions:
- GUI version;
- Command line version;
Like the previous archiver, 7-zip copes well with Rar archives, and also supports working with such file types as: tar, gz, tb2, wim, 7z. By the way, the main compression format for this program is Zip. 
The user, at his discretion, can install several archivers at once on his PC, but by default the archives will open in WinRar.
The main advantages of the program:
- Excellent speed of creating and unpacking archives;
- Support for native 7z format, which has more advantages over zip;
- Simple and straightforward interface that allows users to quickly understand the functions.
FreeArc
Another absolutely free archiver with open source code... If you have FreeArc installed in your arsenal, then you will not have any questions about how to open a RAR file, since the program can work with all popular archive formats.
By the way, those who have already worked with this archiver have probably noticed that it has an excellent speed of operations, so it is at least twice as fast as many of its competitors. 
By the way, this archiver can be easily connected to such popular file managers as Total Commander and Far.
Distinctive aspects of FreeArc:
- High speed of work;
- The ability to recover damaged archives;
- Automatic sorting of archives by date, size, etc .;
- A huge number of settings;
- Intuitive interface.
TUGZip
A lesser known free open source archiver that has proven itself not only when working with archives, but with disk images.
If the standard functionality of the program does not suit you, you can easily replenish it with specially created plugins.
The main features of the program:
- Creation of self-extracting archives;
- Working with disk images: ISO, BIN, IMG and others;
- Support for installing third-party plugins;
- Recovery of damaged archives;
- Integration into the explorer context menu;
I will not list all the features that TUGZip has. As you can see, there are plenty of them here and, probably, even more than the most popular archivers have. By the way, the program is independently updated via the Internet and has support for the Russian language.
IZarc
A fairly universal archiver that can also work with disk images.
The program is completely free, supports all modern formats of archives and disk images. The main advantages include the following:
- The ability to convert an archive to an image and vice versa;
- Automatic integration into the Windows context menu;
- Scanning archives for viruses using;
- Russian language support;
Having this archiver on your computer, you will no longer have any questions: "How to open a Rar file?"
Hamster Free ZIP Archiver
Quite an interesting and at the same time advanced archiver, which combines functions that are not typical of most archivers.
It has capabilities like:
- Upload archives to popular cloud services: DropBox, Yandex Disc, Google Drive and others;
- Share links to created archives with friends and work colleagues;
- Supports all popular file compression methods;
- Has a high compression ratio.
Therefore, if you want to keep up with the times, then I advise you to take a closer look at this archiver.
PeaZip
PeaZip completes our list of archivers for Windows. It is a freeware free archiver that does not require installation on the device. It is enough to copy the program to disk.
PeaZip is also a graphical frontend for other archivers. The program has support for creating archives of its own Pea format. 
The main functions of the program:
- Working with multivolume archives;
- Support for all modern archives;
- Checking the integrity of archives;
- Creation of encrypted archives;
Generally standard set functions, which is in many archivers.
How to open a RAR file on Android and iOS mobile devices
As a rule, on many mobile devices, various archivers and file managers are already preinstalled that can work with RAR archives. Moreover, most file managers allow you to view archives in such a way as if the user opened a regular folder.
If your device does not have a program to open the archive, then you can use the options below.
Popular programs for opening RAR archives on Android
Total Commander is a popular file manager that migrated from computers to mobile devices... With its help, you can easily open archives on your smartphone, although the program interface is somewhat complicated, because of this, many users are looking for alternative programs.
ES File Explorer is another very popular file manager that, in addition to its main tasks, has a number of additional features that work great on rooted devices.
FX File Manager is one of the few file managers that can work in two-window mode. The truth will not always be convenient for owners of gadgets with a small display.
Amaze File Manager is a less popular, but rather nimble file manager that works without freezing. Loved by users because of the interface, which is similar to Google services.
The best programs for iOS that can work with archives.
File Manager is probably one of the advanced managers that cloud storage users will love. Since he knows how to upload archives to the cloud.
USB Disk Pro - allows you to preview files, and also has a bunch of functions that will appeal to both beginners and advanced users.
Documents 5 is the best file manager that allows you to search for files on the device, copy and move, as well as add to the archive.
How to open a RAR file on Linux
If you are using the Linux operating system on your computer, then I can please you. You don't have to search and download anything, since the distributions of this operating system already have built-in software packages for working with Rar archives. True, this set of programs does not have the usual graphical interface.
To activate them open command line and enter:
Sudo apt-get install unrar p7zip-rar
After that, you can unpack any RAR archive by right-clicking on it and selecting "Unpack here".
Note! Very often, if the archive was created in operating system Windows, and you unpack it in Linux (Ubuntu), then the encoding of the file names will go wrong. This happens when using unrar-free.
If you need a classic Linux archiver with a graphical interface, I recommend using p7Zip - an analogue of 7-Zip.
Let's summarize.
Today we have examined in detail how to open a RAR file on different devices... I hope that after reading this article, you will no longer have any questions about which program to use when working with archives. As you can see, there are quite a few free and more advanced solutions that in many ways surpass the popular WinRAR archiver... Therefore, which program to choose you must decide for yourself.
An archive is just one file that has other files stuffed into it to reduce the overall size. If you still sigh when you receive another file in a ZIP, RAR, 7-Zip or any other archive, then this article is for you.
Let's analyze a few possible options how to unpack an archive:
- How to unpack a ZIP archive Windows tools 7
- How to extract data from a RAR file using 7-Zip
- How to unpack a damaged or multivolume archive
At the end of the article, you can watch a short video on the topic.
The easiest way to unpack a ZIP archive
ZIP archives are regular files with a ".zip" extension. In fact, you don't need any programs to simply unzip files from ZIP, everything is already built into Windows Explorer 7. To unzip files, just right-click on the file and select "Extract All ..."
In this case, a dialog box will appear where you will need to specify the path for unpacking the files, or leave it by default (current folder). As you can see, for example, I have a file "Checklist.zip" with zipped Word document... You can often find a PDF file in the archives.
If you leave the "Show extracted files" checkbox enabled, then at the end of the unzipping procedure, another explorer window will open with a new folder open.
You can not unzip the files at all, but go into the archive file as in a regular folder and open the desired file from there.
Unfortunately, Explorer does not know how to work with RAR files. For them, you need to install one of the programs that will be discussed.
Using the program is almost as easy as unpacking a ZIP using File Explorer. To do this, just right-click on the file and select one of the items from the "7-Zip" submenu:
- "Unpack" - to open the unpack dialog
- "Unpack here" - to simply extract the files into the current directory
- "Unpack to" Folder name "" - unzip files into a folder with the name of the archive (recommended)
The simplest are the second and third options, because do not require any further action. If you choose the first option, then the following dialog will appear:
Here we can specify our path for unpacking. If you select the "No paths" option, then all files from the archive will be one heap, without subfolders. The "Overwrite" parameter is responsible for the mode of overwriting existing files. By default, the program will ask for each such file.
You can check out files not only from the right-click menu. If you double-click on the file, it will open in the 7-Zip program window. To unzip files just select them and click the "Extract" button
Alternative free method - Hamster Lite Archiver
I also want to introduce you to one newfangled program Hamster Lite Archiver. It's even simpler, free and has a modern interface. After installing it, new menu items also appear in the menu.
To unpack a rar or zip archive, right-click on it and select one of the options:
- Extract files ... - opens a dialog window
- Extract Here - extracts files to the current folder
- Extract to "Folder name" - unzips to a folder
Despite the fact that the context menu items are in English, the program itself is in Russian. Apparently, they have not yet reached the translation of these points, but at the time of reading this article, the situation may have already been corrected.
The dialogue looks like this:
To unzip all files, just click the "Unzip" button and select the folder where to put them.
How to unzip a file using WinRAR
The WinRAR program is widely used to work with RAR archives. The program can be downloaded from the official website of the developer. Look for the Russian version of the program (Russian) immediately in the list. Installing the program is very easy, just click "Next" all the time. The program is paid with a trial period of 40 days. After the end of the trial period, the program continues to work, but begins to bother you with a window with a license reminder every time you start it.
To unpack RAR, or any other archive, just right-click on the file and select one of the options:
- Extract files ... - the unpacking dialog will open
- Extract to current folder - the content will appear in the current folder
- Extract to "folder name" - extract the content to a new folder with the archive name (recommended)
The simplest options are the second and third. If you select the first option, a dialog will appear in which you can specify a specific path where your files will be placed and a few more parameters:
Click to enlarge
Update mode:
- Extract with file replacement - if the folder already contains the same files as in the archive, then they will be replaced with new ones
- Extract and update files is the same, but only older files will be replaced
- Update only existing files - only update will take place, other files will not be extracted.
The "Overwrite mode" items are responsible for the program's behavior when replacing existing files.
You can also use this dialog to unpack a damaged archive. By default, if a file is in error, it will not be unpacked. If you check the box "Leave damaged files on disk", then the damaged file will be unpacked. If it is video or music, then it can be opened. But, of course, the completeness of the resulting file will depend on the degree of damage to the archive.
You can also unpack files from the WinRAR program window. To do this, it is enough to select required files and click on any of the buttons: "Extract ..." or "Master".
Click to enlarge
Also the WinRar program will help you to organize Reserve copy your information.
Please note that after installing any of the listed programs, the standard menu item "Extract ..." Windows explorer 7 for zip archives may disappear.
How to unpack a multivolume archive
Multivolume archives are created to split one huge archive into several smaller ones. In this case, there will be numbers at the end of the file name, e.g. z01, .z02, .z03 or part1, part2, part 3 or 001, 002, 003, etc. To unpack such a multivolume archive, you will need ALL parts, otherwise nothing good will come of it. The process of unpacking a multivolume archive itself is no different from unpacking ordinary files.
You just need to unzip the first file in the list in the usual way, and the rest will be pulled up automatically.
If, in addition to the numbered parts, there is also a "regular" archive, then this file must be unpacked.
Click to enlarge
Please note that multi-volume ZIP archives created by WinRAR can only be unpacked with the same program!
Other programs give an error and at least you crack! And vice versa, WinRAR does not understand multivolume books created by other programs.
After unpacking unnecessary file with the archive can be deleted.
Conclusions:
I believe that this article gave an exhaustive answer to the question of how to unpack a zip, rar, 7z or any other archive. This can be done with Windows Explorer (ZIP only) or with free software 7-Zip and Hamster Lite Archiver or using the paid WinRAR program. Choose a method convenient for yourself and use it to your health!
Imagine how your friends will be grateful to you if you share this information with them in social networks! By the way, with the help of these programs you can also create your own archives, but read about this in the following articles.