How to open unpacked file. How to open RAR? Programs for working with RAR archives. How to open ISO file
In one of the previous articles, I talked about file extensions. Now I want to detail the specific .rar addition symbolizing the archive. In this article, you will learn what an archive format is and how to open a .rar file
What are archives? How are they created?
When you see a file extension, you determine that it belongs to a particular data type. If you have extensions like .rar in front of you, this indicates the presence of an archive. An archive is one that is compressed to save storage space. That is, in size, this copy, on average, can be 30-40% smaller than the original. And before opening a rar file, it is extracted to its original size. To extract such a file without data loss, you need a special archiver program. It is she who is engaged in packing the original data into the archive and their subsequent unpacking.
How to open a rar file? Archiver
First you need to install a program for archiving data on a PC hard drive. This can be done in two conflict-free ways:
- download and install some free file packer on disk;
- purchase a paid archiver and also install it on your computer.
More often, Runet users use winrar and 7-zip programs. I would even recommend installing them together to get an extended set of all archiving features.
Follow the prompts of the wizard during the installation process. Once installed, run the main application executable. It is usually pointed to by a special desktop shortcut.
Now you can see a window manager like windows explorer. How to open rar file in it? You need to double-click on the archive file icon and you will see the internal contents of the archive. In this case, the compressed data is extracted to a temporary folder and is available for viewing.
To extract the archived copy to a specific directory in the winrar or 7-zip manager, click right click on it and in select "extract files". The archiver will prompt you to select a directory to unpack the archive and, if required, some additional extraction options.
In the archive manager interface, select the section and folder where you want to unzip the selected files. If you need to create a new empty directory, just write its name in the extraction path, and the program will create it automatically.
Click "apply" or "ok" (depending on the interface of the working archiver). The process of extracting the archive will begin, which will be the answer to the question of how to open the rar file. The elapsed time is proportional to the size of the content being retrieved.
I have noticed more than once that it extracts large files and .iso images of 7-zip very quickly. Therefore, if opening with other archivers takes a long time, try using this application, perhaps the process will go with great acceleration.
How to open a rar file through the "My Computer" program menu?
It is not always convenient to use the built-in archiver interface. In this case, right-click the command submenu directly from windows explorer and find something like “extract to the specified directory” in it. Thus, the installed archiver writes a list of its commands to the windows shell. Well, then the process is similar to the steps described above for extracting archives.
Additional archiving commands
How to open rar file with helper commands? In the same explorer, we call the context submenu and, as a rule, we find the following archiving tasks:
- Extract to a folder with the name of the archive - a working subfolder is created with the same name as the archive in the current folder, and the contents are unpacked there.
- Extract to current folder - the archive data is extracted to the directory where you are now. No additional subfolders are created.
- Add to archive - opens a window interface where you can add the selected data to an existing backup.
- Add to...(archive name) - adds the selected data to a new backup, the name of which is provided by the user.
Each PC user or smartphone owner regularly encounters various archive formats. RAR is a common extension used to compress files on most operating systems. This article will tell you in detail how to open a RAR file on all types of devices: from a computer to a phone.
Format description
RAR is an archive file type, meaning it contains other compressed files. The main advantage of this format is to save space, since the information is in a "packed" form. We list the advantages of the RAR format:
- the maximum size of the archive, as well as the files in it, is practically unlimited;
- creation of a multi-volume archive (consisting of several parts) is envisaged;
- password protection of the contents of the archive is provided;
- errors are corrected.
By the way, RAR stands for Roshal ARchiver, the format got its name from the name of the creator, Russian programmer, Roshal Evgeny Lazarevich.
To view and edit files inside the archive, you need to extract them with a special program for opening 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 obsolete seven, 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? Embedded in Windows Explorer - to create and unpack archives, you do not need to run the program.
- - a free analogue of WinRAR, you can download 7-Zip from the official website, you do not 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. Unzip the RAR archive online using trusted web services:
- Archive Extractor - an accessible and understandable unpacker in Russian allows you to import a packed file from a computer, google drive, dropbox or via a link.
- B1 online - this English-language archiver makes it easy to open a RAR archive online, and you can understand the interface even if you do not speak a foreign language.
- Unzip online, like the previous service, is easy to use - download the archive, wait for unpacking, download the file.
Open RAR on iPhone
The Notes app is one of the most convenient ways to open RAR on iPhone:
- download the archive through an Internet browser;
- at the end of the download, select "Open in" and click Notes;
- RAR file is open.
Another easy alternative is to download file manager, extraction of archives is inherent in 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 explorer is usually enough to extract files from an archive, as is the case with iOS. However, if the compressed files could not be unzipped, download the application and work safely with most known archive extensions.
Open RAR on macOS
To open RAR on Apple computers, you will 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.
- - the free version of the program is suitable only if you need to unpack a RAR file, but no more.
Open corrupted archive
Work with a damaged archive using is carried out in two stages:
- Restoring 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".
- Unboxing
- In WinRAR, select the restored archive, extract the files.
- You will see the "Extraction Path and Options" window.
- Select "Keep on disk corrupted files", then click "OK".
This should help open the surviving archive files.
Video instruction
Often opening a Rar file is as easy as the popular Zip, but if in Windows we already have a built-in unpacker, then to open Rar we need a special program that can unpack this type of archive files. This collection contains the main software products that allow you to fully work with Rar archives.
We also note that in the life of every computer user there were moments in which he urgently needed to transfer a number of documents by e-mail, corporate network or upload them to a file hosting service. Sometimes the number of such documents can be large. Accordingly, a large amount of files may be transferred or downloaded for a long time or incorrectly, which may cause you problems. However, every experienced user knows that there are archivers specifically for solving such problems. This software is designed to merge a group of files into one, as well as reduce their size. Archivers do their job very well with text documents, which are now actively used in every direction.
One of the most popular archivers is WinRar. At its disposal Winrar has many functions and features for archiving files. For example, you can set the desired size of your archive, split it into parts, and also "password", which will allow you to increase the level of confidentiality.
After working with WinRar, the final archive receives the Rar extension. Due to the popularity of these files among users, a number of other programs have been created that support archives of this format. Such utilities will allow you to extract the data of the received archive quickly and correctly. In addition, they include in their functionality the ability to reverse the process, which is not inferior to popular counterparts, and sometimes even surpasses them in terms of speed.
Files downloaded from many sites are usually downloaded in rar format. They cannot be used immediately, but you can view the contents. There is this extension for special purposes that are pursued by both the owners of Internet resources and ordinary users.
Why is rar format needed?
The rar format was developed by Russian programmer Evgeny Roshal, its main goal is to compress large files. Almost any file can be archived, that is, compressed or created from it into an archive, as a result of which its size will decrease by 1-90%. How many times the element will be compressed depends on the format in which it is written. For example, a music file and a text file will reduce their size by a different number of bytes.
An archive in the rar extension consists of several volumes and can contain any number of folders and files. For example, it is convenient to use it for transferring photos: all pictures are compressed into a single archive, while their overall size is reduced, which saves both hard drive space and Internet traffic spent on uploading them to the network.
The main use of this format, of course, is to reduce files that are rarely accessed. To work with the contents of the archive, it must first be unzipped (unpacked), and this will take some time. But if access to some files is needed infrequently, then it is better to compress them, saving memory, and decompress them as needed.
Video: working with the archive
How to open archive
You cannot work with compressed files, but it often happens that content downloaded from some site turns out to be archived. In this case, you need to use a special program that can unpack it. Since Windows 10 does not have a built-in archiver, you will have to download one of the third-party applications that can work with the rar extension.
WinRAR
This application was written by the inventor of the format himself - Evgeny Roshal. It can work with all kinds of compressed files in many modes. With it, you can view the contents of the archive before unpacking it, and also extract only individual files if the entire volume is not needed.
Official site where you can get free version programs - http://www.win-rar.ru/download/. There are versions in almost all languages, including Russian. There is support for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.
After studying the program settings in more detail, you can find many tools for working with the archive. But most of the time they won't work for you.
7zip
7-zip is an analogue of WinRAR that can work with many compression formats. The program also provides all the tools for working with archives. With it, you can unpack the entire compressed file or part of it. To unzip one file or the entire archive, the Extract button is used, although the method of dragging an element outside the application window also works.
Press the Extract button The program is available in several languages, but Russian is not among them. But there is support for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. The official site where it is distributed for free is https://www.7-zip.org/.
In order to create an archive, that is, to compress a certain group of files, you will have to resort to using one of the programs described above, since Windows 10 does not have a built-in tool to perform this task. The compression process in all programs is the same, so let's consider the procedure using 7-zip as an example.
Much of the information on the Web is stored as an archive—data that is compressed to combine multiple 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 to open it?
The abbreviation RAR stands for Roshal ARchive, named after 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 allows you to solve the issue of extracting information from the RAR format:
- WinRAR is the first and most functional application for working with archives. With it, you can 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 opening the archive.
- PeaZip is a freeware archiver written in Free Pascal and at the same time being a graphical shell for other similar applications.
- 7-Zip is a popular utility that provides high compression and archiving in native 7z format. It also handles RAR files and dozens of other archive extensions.
- FreeArc is a free archiver for Windows and Linux, originally created for 32-bit systems, but in 2017 received support for 64-bit software and a new compression algorithm.
- WinZip is a shareware application that 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 that allow you to get information from an encrypted file without using 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 larger than 200 MB. Another unpacker can be found at 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 with 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 you to associate them with archive file formats. That is, set by default in which program to open these archive formats. Different archivers have different icons on the same formats, in this case RAR. Using 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 window of the archiver program, where it is possible to view the contents of 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 further work. 
The most popular program for opening RAR files in Windows, WinRAR, after installation, allows you to perform three actions with archives - choose the extraction location, extract to the same folder, move the data to a directory with the same name. The steps to open a RAR file would 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 also appears in the context menu, when you hover over it, a submenu with unpacking options is shown, just like in WinRAR. By clicking on the RAR file with RMB, 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 way to open a RAR file when you cannot install an archiver program. This option is suitable for lazy users, or due to limitations 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/en/ and allows you to perform the following actions:
- Download archives from PC, cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, and even via a link.
- Work with dozens of formats;
- Open the information in the archive, divided into several parts and protected by a password.
To work with archived data, just go to the main page of the resource and download it using one of the possible ways. Click the "Select file" button, specify the path, select the archive and click "Open" or drag the archive to 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 appropriate button. The advantage of the method can be called unzipping online, 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 offset by the fact that with Windows 7 and higher, the ZIP format is extracted by regular means. 
What to do if RAR does not open?
Sometimes, when trying to open a RAR file on Windows 10 or other versions of the operating system, you may encounter damage to the archive or the presence of a password. In the case of a password, information can only be extracted by knowing the combination of characters or using a special program. If the data is damaged, the built-in function of the WinRAR utility will help extract files from RAR, but not a fact.
To attempt data recovery, perform the following steps:
The second way is the usual unpacking using the 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, getting the opportunity to restore at least part of the information. Next press OK. 
If the archived information is password protected in operating system Windows will help you restore them from the archive program Advanced Archive Password Recovery. It works with several formats, including RAR, and matches combinations with great speed, supporting mask or dictionary searches. 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 with passwords like "111" or "777".
By familiarizing yourself with the various ways to 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 the free 7-zip utility. With their help, you can work with the RAR format, although the paid application has more functionality.
