What and how to open .rar files?
Even though rar the format has become an integral part of Windows, Linux and other operating systems, including the Android and Mac OS platforms. But automatic opening of the archive by simply double-clicking on the archive is not available.

Below we will consider programs that allow you to work with files in the .rar extension on different OSes, and their main features and advantages will be shown.

1. Open the archive in Windows

Windows, by default, can easily open archives only in the ZIP extension, and in order to work with .rar, you will need several software add-ons.

WinRar
This is the most popular and well-known software that will help you work with the .rar format. Of all the known programs, it can very easily create various types of archives, as well as open and unzip them.

In case if WinRAR installed, then creating an archive is not so difficult. Just right-click on the desired folder and select “Create Winrar archive.”

If this folder was empty, then you can simply drag and drop the required files into the created archive.
To open this archive, you just need to double-click on it and you will see the contents of the archive. In addition to archiving, you can perform the opposite actions through the “Extract” item.

Main features of WinRAR:
- Create an archive up to 8 GB;
- The archive can be password protected, you can add email to it, divide it into several parts and even block it;
- Fixes damaged archives.

7-ZIP
Performs the same tasks as the utility provided above. Works great with the .rar format.

In addition to the required.rar. format, the program also interacts with formats: 7z, tar, gz, tb2, etc.
Installing WinRAR and 7-Zip is quite possible, so the user will be able to create archives and extract files from them using one or the other program.

Main features of 7-zip:
- Quite high speed of unpacking and archiving;
- Its own “7z” format, which is superior to the .zip format;
- The interface is simple and similar to WinRAR.

TUGZip

A lesser-known utility, but with nice and convenient features, including:
- archive editor;
- support for multi-archive arrays;
- simple interface.

IZARc
It has its own peculiarity, namely: it can even work with disk images, in addition to archives. He can work with formats: mdf, iso, etc.

Features of Izarc
- Archives can be converted to disk images and vice versa;
- Reliable encryption method;
- Support for many types of archives.

FreeArc
Free archiver with accessible code. Works with a lot of filters and compression algorithms - about 11 units. Judging by its performance, the program runs two or more times faster than any other archiver. It integrates perfectly with FAR and Total Commander, and works without problems.
- archive recovery capabilities;
- sorting archives by size and others;
- wide range of settings;
- automatic verification of archive integrity.

PeaZIP
The same free archiver, which is also an excellent graphical shell for some archivers. Its unique .pea format. The archiver supports 7z, xz, ace, chm and other formats.

Hamster Free ZIP Archiver
Wonderful software that stands out among other archivers with its interface, as well as support for many formats - up to 12.
It includes special kits for working with various kinds of files and disks. There is support for the new Drag-n-Drop technology. You can open files with it, as well as create new ones.

2. Archives in Linux (Linux)

Most often, Linux has a built-in package of programs that are needed to work with the .rar extension. This set consists of free archive editors with a very unusual interface.

It is best to use the following commands to extract the .rar format: unrar or p7zip-rar.
You can activate this command using the command line, as follows:
Sudo apt-get install unrar p7zip-rar

Now in the FM (file manager), after clicking on the desired archive, a special “unpack here” item will appear. In this case, to extract files from the archive, you can try using the command: unrar x [archive name]. This editor does not allow the user to preview the contents of the archive.

P7zip
This is an analogue of 7-zip for Windows, but on Linux. This software has a very convenient interface that is known to everyone. All programs and add-ons of this software are free.

3. Open archive on Mac OS

In order to open the archive on this OS, we will need a special utility: RAR (paid), 7zX or UnRarX. All three programs are direct analogues of the programs mentioned earlier, but for the MAC operating system. Their work is practically no different.

But of the options offered, we recommend using the UnRarX application for MacOS; this program has a wonderful interface that is suitable and understandable to any user. The second is keka, which is a direct clone of 7-zip and its analogues.

4. Open rar on iOS and Android.

On mobile platforms you also sometimes need to work with archives in the .rar extension, and they can work with them. True, for this you need to install the same WinRAR, for example.

Open .rar on Android:
- ES File Explorer- a popular FM that provides quite a wide range of functionality among all those provided in general. It is also capable of issuing Root rights and performing other tasks.
- Total Commander weighs ten times more than the first application, but its functionality is much wider than the first one by the same amount.
- Amaze File Manager very attractive with its interface and stable operation.
- FX File Explorer– file manager working in two-window mode.

Open .rar on iOS:
- Documents 5– good software that allows you to move, copy, add an archive and perform other actions on it.
- FileBrowser– a program that provides excellent remote connection to devices.
- USB Disk Pro– has functions for more “advanced” users.
- File Manager– the best choice for cloud storage users.

How and with what to open a .rar file?

Despite the fact that the .rar format has long become an integral part of Windows, Linux and many other operating systems, including MacOS and Android, for many, automatic opening of the archive by double clicking the mouse does not work.

Archives on Windows

By default, Windows opens only 7zip archives, and to open .rar you will need to download an additional distribution.

WinRAR

This is the main application for working with .rar. Of all the popular programs, only this one can create archives on Windows, while other software can only open them.

If WinRAR is installed on your computer, then to create an archive file, just right-click on the desktop so that a menu appears asking you to create a “WinRAR Archive”.

And to open .rar, you just need to click on this file and it will automatically be opened in WinRAR, if this program, again, is installed on the computer. It also allows you to extract files from the archive. To do this, there is an “Extract” button on the top panel.

Features of WinRAR are:

• you can create an archive of no more than 8 GB in size;
• you can add a password, email to the archive, split it into parts, block and
• perform many other manipulations;
• It is possible to correct archives that have been damaged.

7-Zip

This program copes well with the tasks of opening and unpacking archives in .rar format.

In addition to this format, it works with a huge number of other files - tar, gz, tb2, wim, 7z, but its main format is zip.

It is important to note that with 7-Zip and WinRAR installed, the user has the opportunity to create an archive in the 7-Zip interface, but WinRAR is still used.

Other features of 7-Zip:

• very high recording and decompression speed;
• there is its own 7z format, which, according to experts, is better than zip;
• The interface is very similar to WinRAR.

TUGZip

This program is not particularly known to many modern users. But it has many “nice” features.

Among them are the following:

• there is an editor for self-extracting archives;
• the program supports multi-archive arrays;
• classic interface for archivers;
• automatic data security check.

TUGZip also supports a huge number of formats, even more than 7-Zip.

IZArc

The main feature of IZArc is that it works not only with archives, but also with disk images, that is, with files in iso, mdf and so on.

Features of IZArc:

• the ability to convert archives into disk images and vice versa;
• more secure encryption methods than previous programs (including AES);
• support for multi-volume and self-extracting archives.

Overall, IZArc is a very good, reliable and free tool for opening .rar files.

FreeArc

FreeArc is a completely free and open source archiver. Works with a large number of filters and compression algorithms - 11 in total. Judging by performance tests, FreeArc works at least 2 times faster than any other modern archiver. Its huge advantage is the ability to connect to Total Commander and FAR. Its other features are:

• it is possible to restore archives;
• automatic sorting by size, creation date or other parameters;
• ample customization options;
• automatic archive integrity check after recording.

PeaZip

Another free archiver, which doubles as a graphical shell for other archivers. It has its own unique archive format, .pea. Supports a huge number of formats, including 7z, tar, gzip, xz, ace, chm and many others. It also has its own testing algorithm.

Hamster Free ZIP Archiver

An interesting product from Hamster Studio. It features a very non-standard interface and support for a large number of archive formats (12 pieces) and files in general.

It has a set of special functions for working with email and disk images. Also supports Drag-n-Drop technology. Allows you not only to open, but also to create archives.

Archives in Linux (Ubuntu)

Often, Linux distributions already come with a software package specifically designed for opening .rar archives. This is a set of free archive editors, without the usual graphical interface.

You can activate them via the command line by entering:

sudo apt-get install unrar p7zip-rar

Now in the file manager, when you right-click on a rar archive and select “Extract here,” the rar archive will be unpacked. You can also use unrar x [archive name] to unpack.

Often, if an archive was created in Windows, when you try to open it in Ubuntu, the encoding in the file names gets lost (this is believed to be typical for the unrar-free and rar commands).

This editor does not allow you to view anything before unpacking, convert, or generally perform various operations without a terminal.

p7zip – this is exactly the same 7-Zip, only for Linux. p7zip has a full-fledged interface, classic for archivers. The developers are the ideologists of open source software, so all programs are free.

Here's one unverified piece of advice from the forum: use the 7zip program for Windows in Ubuntu.

Opening an archive on MacOS

For this operating system there are also versions of UnRarX, 7zX and a paid RAR utility, which, in our opinion, is extremely inconvenient to use. All of these are analogues of the above programs for other operating systems, and they work almost identically - with their own operating features, depending on the OS.

We would advise Apple users to use the UnRarX utility for MAC OS. Here it has a full-fledged graphical interface and is much more understandable to the average user. There is another interesting archiver called keka - a clone of p7zip and, accordingly, 7-Zip, with minor differences.

RAR in Android and iOS

On mobile platforms, archives, including those with the .rar extension, can be opened by almost all file managers. However, you need to install WinRAR along with them.

In most cases, all this is already installed on the phone and tablet at the moment when these devices fall into the hands of the user.

Accordingly, on a phone or tablet you can also open, create or unpack an archive, and in some file managers all this happens as if the user were opening a regular folder.

So, if you have difficulty opening an archive on your phone, use one of the popular file managers for Android and iOS.

Programs for opening .rar on Android:

ES File Explorer

One of the most popular file managers, which has perhaps the widest functionality of all - it can give root rights, monitor memory usage and much more.

Total Commander

This file manager can do about 10 times more than ES File Explorer, but these capabilities are only available to those who can understand its complex interface.

Amaze File Manager

Attracts many users with its Google-like interface. Doesn't freeze.

FX File Explorer

File manager that works well in two-window mode.

Programs for working with archives on iOS:

Documents 5.

Provides many options for searching and working with files - moving, copying, adding to an archive and much more.

FileBrowser.

Copes perfectly with the task of connecting to a remote device.

USB Disk Pro.

This file manager has many features for advanced users and file previews.

File Manager.

The best option for those who use cloud storage.

Below you can clearly see how a .rar file is opened in Windows using WinRAR.

Reading time: 8 minutes. Views 11.3k. Published 09/11/2017

Very often, users ask 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 for users to open.

RAR is a special file compression format; essentially 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 accepted WinRAR utility is most often used, which allows you to both create archives and extract files from them.

When working with the WinRAR application, the user can create compound and multi-volume archives, as well as set a password on them. At the moment, there are a huge number of different archivers that can work with the Rar compression format. I propose to consider the best programs for different operating systems.

How to open a RAR file in Windows

If you have already paid attention, you probably noticed that by default there is a standard ability to open only Zip archives. Therefore, users often simply cannot open a RAR archive until they download a special utility. If you don't know what exactly you need, then consider several options.

WinRaR

Probably the most popular archiver for the Windows operating system. WinRar can not only open and extract files from an archive, but also allows the user to create archives themselves.

As always, you can download the program from the developer’s official website – 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 try out all the features.

With WinRar installed, in order to place a file in an archive, just right-click on it and select “Add to archive”.

In order to unpack a compressed file, just left-click on it 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 of no more than 8GB;
• Yes, email attachment, archive blocking and more;
• Recovering damaged archives;
• Availability 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:

1. Version with graphical interface;
2. Command line version;

Like the previous archiver, 7-zip does an excellent job with Rar archives, and also supports working with file types such 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 on his PC at once, but by default the archives will be opened in WinRar.

Main advantages of the program:

• Excellent speed of creating and unpacking archives;
• Support for native 7z format, which has more advantages over zip;
• A simple and intuitive interface that allows users to quickly understand the functions.

You can download 7-zip from the official website at: www.7-zip.org

FreeArc

Another absolutely free open source archiver. 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;
• Ability to restore damaged archives;
• Automatic sorting of archives by date, size, etc.;
• A huge number of settings;
• Clear interface.

TUGZip

A lesser-known free, open-source archiver that has proven itself not only when working with archives, but also with disk images.

If the standard functionality of the program does not suit you, you can easily supplement it with specially created plugins.

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;
• Restoring damaged archives;
• Integration into the Explorer context menu;

I won't 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 and supports all modern archive and disk image formats. The main advantages include the following:

• Ability to convert an archive into 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 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 features 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, I advise you to take a closer look at this archiver.

PeaZip

Our list of archivers for Windows ends with PeaZip. This is a freely available free archiver that does not require installation on the device. All you need to do is copy the program to disk.

PeaZip is also a graphical shell for other archivers. The program has support for creating archives in its own Pea format.

Main functions of the program:

• Working with multi-volume archives;
• Support for all modern archives;
• Checking the integrity of archives;
• Creation of encrypted archives;

In general, a standard set of functions that are found in many archivers.

How to open a RAR file on Android and iOS mobile devices

As a rule, many mobile devices already come pre-installed with various archivers and file managers that can work with RAR archives. Moreover, most file managers allow you to view archives as if the user had opened a regular folder.

If your device does not have a program to open the archive, then you can use the options suggested below.

Popular programs for opening RAR archives on Android

Total Commander is a popular file manager that has migrated from computers to mobile devices. With its help, you can easily open archives on your smartphone, although the program interface is somewhat complex, which is why 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 quite fast file manager that works without freezing. It is loved by users because of its 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 like. Because it can upload archives to the cloud.

USB Disk Pro - allows you to preview files, and also has a bunch of other 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 your device, copy and move, and also add to the archive.

How to open a RAR file on Linux

If you use the Linux operating system on your computer, then I can please you. You don’t have to search or 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 a familiar graphical interface.

To activate them, open the command line and enter:

Sudo apt-get install unrar p7zip-rar

After this, you can unpack any RAR archive by right-clicking on it and selecting “Unpack here”.

Note! Very often, if the archive was created in the Windows operating system, and you unpack it in Linux (Ubuntu), the encoding of file names will be lost. This happens when using unrar-free.

If you need a classic archiver for Linux with a graphical interface, then I recommend using p7Zip - an analogue of 7-Zip.

Let's summarize.

Today we looked in detail at how to open a RAR file on different devices. I hope that after reading this article you will no longer have questions about which program to use when working with archives. As you can see, there are quite a lot of free and more advanced solutions that are in many ways superior to the popular WinRAR archiver. Therefore, you must decide for yourself which program to choose.

Good afternoon, today I will tell you and show you with examples which programs can be used to open files in the RAR format. Archivers RAR, ZIP, CAB are among the most common programs; they are surpassed only by operating systems and browsers. Why? Since most materials and programs on the Internet stored in compressed form in the archives. And to open them and extract information from them, you need to download one of the archivers.

I’ll tell you about a program that I’ve been using for a long time, ever since I bought my first computer. This program is called WinRAR and is the most popular program for opening rar archives. WinRAR is used every day by millions of people around the world to save space on their PC. Since you're wondering question “how to open a rar file”, then you are probably not very familiar with this program. Below I have prepared a short instruction for you.

How to open a rar file?

First of all, you must download and install WinRAR. I have prepared a fresh and working version for you, which is installed on my computer. By the way, before publishing on a blog, I install all programs on my computer, check their functionality and the presence of viruses. To download the WinRAR program, click on the button below.

I provide a link to the developer's website. In the list of languages, select Russian and the version of the program. I make sure that you can always receive the latest versions of programs.

After downloading, double-click on the WinRAR.exe file and install the program. Installation is very fast, can be installed on top of older versions of WinRAR. This is what the main window looks like.

Now all you have to do is click “File -> Find Archive” and select the file you need with the extension “.rar”. The contents of this rar file will open, you can copy it anywhere. For example, you can simply drag files from WinRAR to your desktop.

If you have any problems or questions, please ask them in the comments below. I will definitely answer and help you. I hope I clearly explained how to open a rar file.

Rar is an archive format that supports the creation of multi-volume archives, divided into several compressed parts. They have the extension rxx (instead of xx numbers from 00 to 99). Uses the algorithm of the same name. Takes up little disk space thanks to a high compression algorithm. Developed by a domestic developer, named after his last name. He also wrote a program to work with it (WinRAR). Despite the fact that the format is closed, in addition to WinRAR it is supported by most free archivers.

How to open a file with the rar extension

1. – a free archiver with which you can view, edit, create and unpack archives. Provides full support for 10 formats (creation and unpacking) and partial (viewing and unpacking) about 15. Externally, the application is simple and clear, the appearance is easy to customize using themes.


2. Power Archiver is a powerful free application, but in addition to the free edition there are also paid ones. The free version provides a standard set of functions - unpacking, viewing, editing and creating archives. A large number of formats are supported.


3. Zipx is a free application focused on working with zipx archives. In addition to zipx, many other formats are supported. The application interface is quite simple, it will not be difficult to understand it. Allows you to check archives for errors and generate their hash.


4. – Free program for working with archives. Focused on working with zip archives. It has a simple and intuitive interface, which consists of a menu at the top and main control buttons below it. It works quickly even on weak computers, and has a high speed of compression and decompression of archives.