How to open RAR files without WinRAR [Full Guide]

• RAR files are a popular format for transporting data and saving disk space.
• The guide below will show you exactly how to extract RAR files on Windows 10.
• To read more about this versatile file format, visit our dedicated RAR Hub.
• For more tutorials on how to open various files, visit our File Opener page.

• Unzip all major file formats: ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TGZ, TAR, etc.
• Encrypts the files you zip for maximum protection
• Manage your files easily (PC, Cloud, network)

Open archived files
with ease on your PC

Extracting your .rar files in Windows 10 can be a task that will take you no more than five minutes of your time but you will have to be aware of the software needed for you to be able to extract your files.

The software available for Windows 10 in order to extract your files can be free if you use a trial version or you can buy the full version depending on your needs.

Usually, the best application suitable for Windows 10 is the WinRAR app that you can buy from any available Windows Store or you could download the7 Zip and not pay anything for it.

We will explain how you can use both of the applications and get your files extracted in no time. Follow the tutorial below for detailed explanations on how to extract the .rar files in Windows 10.

How do I extract RAR files in Windows 10?

Decide what software you will use to extract RAR files

Despite the file format’s name and the fact that we associate RAR files by default with WinRAR, there are certainly better alternatives out there.

While WinRAR is indeed free to use, it is somewhat dated and hasn’t seemed to have evolved past the basic archiving and unzipping phase.

That being the case, and given this guide’s topic, here is one tool that can certainly handle RAR file just as better as WinRAR.

There are plenty of tools out there that can handle archiving, and unzipping files, but few of them are reliable and error-free. As such, we’ve decided to recommend WinZip in the case at hand.

This product offers unparalleled compression capabilities, allowing you to store data and files in a lossless manner at almost half the storage space as other file compression tools.

More so, it runs very fast when it comes to compressing and unzipping large amounts of data. All in all, if you want a tool that will extract RAR and ZIP files fast and efficiently, WinZip is the solution for you.

WinZip

Follow the steps from below for a quick understanding of how to extract the .rar files:

1. After you successfully installed the WinZip application to your Windows 10 device you will need to locate your .rar file.
2. Right-click on the .rar file to open the folders menu.
3. Left-click on the feature WinZip you have presented in that menu.
4. Now, after left-clicking on the WinZip feature, you will have a series of options available to choose from.
   • If you want to extract the .rar files to the location you have the .rar folder then you will need to left-click on the feature Extract Here.
     • Note: For viewing the contents of the .rar folder you only have to double click (left click) on the folder.
   • If you want to extract the .rar files to your /Downloads directory you only have to left-click on the feature Extract to Downloads.
   • If you want to extract the .rar file to a specific directory left click on the Extract files… and under the Extract to: feature select the directory you want to copy them to and then left-click on the OK button presented in the lower side of the screen.

So now that you have your .rar file extracted you can go ahead and carry out your work on the Windows 8 and Windows 10 device without any issue. If you have any questions regarding the extraction of the .rar file, please write us below and we will see what we can do to help you further

How to extract RAR without WinRar

If you don’t want to use WinRar to extract files, you can use an alternative solution. For example, you can download Directory Opus, a very powerful file manager for Windows 10.

Many users believe that the best file managers should be versatile and powerful enough to handle any file management needs and requirements that users may have. However, not all file managers can handle archiving and unarchiving files.

Directory Opus brings many useful features and options to your computer and can easily replace WinRAR’s archiving functionality.

How to extract RAR without password

Some .rar files may be password protected. The good news is that you can extract them even if you forgot the password.

The easiest way to do that is to download and install a dedicated RAR password recovery tool, such as the RAR Password Genius developed by iSunShare Software.

This small, yet powerful password recovery utility can help you recover lost or forgotten passwords for RAR archives create by various file compression tools.

RAR Password Genius can recover complex passwords within minutes. The tool comes in two versions: a free version and a premium version. You can use the free version to recover passwords of up to three characters.

Extract RAR file access denied

Sometimes, even if you have the most reliable RAR extractor and you recovered your password, the error message Access denied occurs.

This issue may be triggered by access permission limitations, among other things. The good news is that you can fix that by taking ownership of the respective folder.

• Right-click on the RAR folder > select Properties
• Go to the Security tab > click on the Advanced button

• Go to the Owner tab in Advanced Security Settings
• Select Edit > select the problematic user account from Change Owner. You may give everyone permission by adding everyone.
• Click on Other users or groups > type Everyone in the field provided > hit OK.
• Select User/Group > click Apply >OK.
• Change the owner name > click OK > exit the Properties windows.

You have now taken ownership of the folder. Now you need to get permission to access it.

• Right-click on the folder > select Properties
• Select the Edit button > click OK
• In the permission windows, select user/group or click Add to add other users

• Under Allow > check Full Control to assign full access rights.
• Click OK > confirm > exit Properties

There you go, we hope that this guide helped you extract your RAR files. If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to use the comments section below.

The guide above also covers some of the following topics as well:

• Windows 10 RAR file extractor – All software mentioned in this article can be used to extract RAR files in Windows 10.
• Unpack RAR files Windows 10 – Both WinZip and WinRAR can be used to unpack RAR files in Windows 10

Требуется открыть RAR-файл? Загрузите WinRAR, чтобы открыть RAR-файл.

Пользовательский рейтинг на CNET 4.5 звезды

Файл с расширением RAR – что это такое?

RAR это родной формат архиватора WinRAR. Файл формата RAR имеет расширение .rar и представляет собой контейнер с данными, в котором может храниться один или множество файлов в сжатом виде. В сравнении с другими программами упаковки у RAR множество преимуществ, включая поддержку архивов из нескольких частей, высокую степень сжатия и возможность восстанавливать данные при повреждениях архивов.

ЗДЕСЬ вы найдёте более подробную информацию о формате архивов RAR5.

WinRAR в мире занимает третью позицию по числу установленных копий, уступая только Google Chrome и Acrobat Reader, то есть это самый популярный архиватор в мире!

Как открывать файлы RAR

1. Если у вас есть RAR-файл, который вы хотите открыть (например, полученный по почте как вложение или скачанный из Интернета), дважды щёлкните по этому файлу, и он будет открыт в WinRAR. После этого вы можете выбрать те файлы и/или папки, которые хотите извлечь.

2. Щёлкните по кнопке «Извлечь…» в верхней части окна WinRAR, выберите целевую папку (куда вы хотите сохранить данные, извечённые из RAR-файла) и нажмите OK.
Извлечённые файлы будут помещены в целевую папку.

How to open RAR files in Windows 10

Can Windows 10 open RAR files? Yes, Windows 10 can open RAR files. Just like any other compressed file, RAR files are a proprietary archive file that supports data compression, error recovery and file spanning. While you can open RAR files in Windows 10, it’s not supported by default. We will have to use third-party free compression software to uncompress a RAR file to extract all the files and folders inside it. By default, Windows doesn’t recognize RAR file format.

If you are wondering why was there a need for another compression technology? It’s about functionality. The primary software, RAR Lab that can manage RAR files offer tons of functionality including better compression, the option to split compressed files, and later rejoin them, higher security feature, and so on.

You can download the software from RAR Lab, and unarchive, but it keeps prompting you to buy the software. A better alternative is 7-Zip. It supports WIM files, RAR5 archives, UEFI BIOS files, ext2/ ext3/ ext4 images, GPT, VMDK, VDI images, and single file QCOW2.

Open RAR files in Windows 10

1. Download and install 7-Zip.
2. Open the location of your .rar file, and right-click on it.
3. Look for a contextual menu which says “7-Zip”.
4. Hover your mouse over it, and choose extract files.
5. In the next window, you can select a path
6. Enter a password if the RAR file is protected, and other options.

Your RAR file is extracted now.

List of other free software that can open RAR files:

1. Extract Now: The biggest advantage of using this software is that it can extract contents of multiple archive files quickly and easily – all at the same time
2. PeaZip is a free software RAR unarchiver for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and BSD, with GUI. It supports both old and new RAR file formats
3. RAR Opener is a Windows Store app that can open popular archives like RAR, 7Z, ZIP, TAR, LZH, etc.
4. The Unarchiver is also a free software unarchiver for RAR and other formats.
5. You can also extract RAR files on Windows 10 using these free Microsoft Store apps.

So it is possible to open RAR files on Windows 10 for free, and without paying anything. However, it is possible that you might miss the extended functionality of the original software. So unless you need to manage, create, and split RAR files professionally, the free options are more than enough to get the job done.

Date: February 15, 2019 Tags: Tips

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Ashish is a veteran Windows, and Xbox user who excels in writing tips, tricks, and features on it to improve your day to day experience with your devices.

How to open RAR files

Most apps and programs for your PC are a breeze to download, but others might give you a hard time. When you click on the file to install, you might notice that it has a .rar file extension you’re not familiar with.

While RAR files offer many advantages, it does take a bit more knowledge to open them on your computer. Here, we’ve provided a few simple ways to open RAR files, whether you’re using Windows or MacOS.

7-Zip (Windows)

Step 1: Navigate to the 7-Zip download page, and select the download link that corresponds with your desired version of the software. If you’re running the latest version of Windows 10, chances are you want the 64-bit version, but it’s a good idea to confirm which version of Windows you’re running first.

When in the installer, select your desired destination folder for the utility and click the Install button in the bottom-right corner of the window. Click the Finish button when done, and launch the program.

Step 2: Locate the RAR file you wish to open within the main 7-Zip interface. To do so, peruse the resulting folder directly, and double-click the RAR file to access the contents of the file. Alternatively, right-click the file and select the Open option near the top of the resulting drop-down menu.

Step 3: Double-click the RAR file to launch it in the appropriate program. Or, if you wish to save the file elsewhere on your computer, highlight the file in question and click the Copy button housed beneath the navigation bar. Then, select a save location for the file in the pop-up window, and click the gray OK button in the bottom-right corner.

Once you get used to the process, you can shorten your steps by right-clicking on the files, choosing 7-Zip from the drop-down menu, and choosing to extra the files as you need to. Finally, now that your files are out in the open, 7-Zip can help you protect them, too.

Other Windows alternatives

Who doesn’t like having alternatives? Other apps may be right for you, whether you want to make some comparisons or just look for a different interface. We’ll start by recommending the entirely free Zip Extractor app, an elegant little extractor that is fully compatible with RAR files. It’s also pleasantly free of ads, trials, and “you can only use this as part of this other software package” gimmicks. It merely extracts and downloads with no fuss.

If you want something a little more, then check out WinOpener. It received a full redesign for Windows 10 and lets you preview and extract RAR, Zip, and 7z files easily. In-app printing and sharing for Word Docs or PDFs is also supported, which could save busy professionals some time. The downside is that the full price of WinOpener is $20, but we encourage you to keep an eye out for sales if this seems too high.

The Unarchiver (MacOS)

Zipping up files on MacOS is an essential feature of the operating system, but you need to be able to unpack them, too. Apple has a native tool for uncompressing files by just clicking on them, but it’s a streamlined option that doesn’t allow any control over the process. For those seeking a complete tool, we suggest another option.

An oldie but a goodie, Unarchiver easily trumps the built-in archive unpacker that comes with MacOS — aka the aptly-titled Archive Utility. The program touts support for a more significant number of file formats and offers additional functionality more akin to 7-Zip than other available offerings on the web. Though Unarchiver cannot create RAR files, it still allows you to open RARs with just a few steps.

Step 1: Navigate to the Unarchiver download page, and click the Download option in the middle of the page, or head over to the App Store to download the application. Afterward, extract the file and launch the program.

Step 2: Once opened, ensure the box beside RAR Archive is checked — along with any other archive types you wish to open with the Unarchiver — and click the Extraction tab located at the top of the application window. Afterward, select your save location for the resulting file from the drop-down menu near the top of the window, control-click the RAR file you wish to open, and choose the Unarchiver from the drop-down menu beside the Open With option.

Step 3: The utility will then automatically create and save a file with the same name as the RAR file in the previously-specified location. Then, simply double-click the RAR file to launch it in the appropriate program.

Other MacOS alternatives

We recommend checking out Keka as an excellent software for a helpful upgrade to file management that is also visually appealing. It’s a file archiver that can extract multiple kinds of files, such as ZIP, 7z, and RAR.

Keka’s user-friendly and accessible interface allows for easy file splitting and recombining. While it may have a high price tag, you’ll be glad you spent the extra cash on this reliable app because it successfully achieves the complex tasks of file compression and reconstruction on a Mac.

You can also look at iZip instead . It’s a Mac-centered archive manager that accesses and shares files with ease while decreasing security risks. It lets you work fast, even with large files, encrypts your work, and sends files securely between different systems. Since its complex design suits professional RAR management, it isn’t the easiest system to operate.