RAR Files - 3 Ways To Open And Extract Using Windows

In this tutorial, we will present three methods to open a .rar file to extract its content under Windows 10. As .rar files are not natively supported, we look to third party applications for assistance. Our first method works entirely online, with files processed in the cloud before being returned via download. Our second method provides an offline alternative, with processing handled on the local machine by a “portable” app, which, unlike conventional apps, does not require permanent installation on the system. Our third method permanently installs an application which closely integrates with the file system, providing seamless context menu integration for more frequent use.
Topics covered:
00:00 Introduction
00:26 Lack of native support for .rar in Windows
01:07 What is a .rar file?
01:32 Online conversion of a .rar file using CloudConvert
04:17 Downloading and “installing” 7-Zip Portable
05:23 Using the 7-Zip Portable app
06:51 Deleting 7-Zip Portable after use
07:16 Downloading and installing 7-Zip (Full app)
08:16 Using 7-Zip
08:28 7-Zip integration with the file system
08:53 Uninstalling 7-Zip
Related tutorials:
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Video links:
CloudConvert (Web Based Converter): cloudconvert.com
7-Zip Portable (Portable Conversion Software): portableapps.com/apps/utiliti...
7-Zip (Conversion Software): www.7-zip.org/
Video edited using Magix Movie Edit Pro. Buy from Amazon:
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Screenshots from: Windows 10 Pro (Version 18363.476): Buy from Amazon:
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Audio recorded using Blue Microphones Yeti Microphone. Buy from Amazon:
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Audio recorded using Audacity. Download free at www.audacityteam.org
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[@Borgar-3-the-sequel]

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF GOD I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT FOR A. WHOLE. YEAR.

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very kind @burg3r7e1i. Glad that the video helped you through this.

[@Szym3x_]

Thanks man, the cloud based option worked perfectly, now i can install mods to game without worries

[@TechFixFlix]

That’s great. Glad it helped.

[@jessicamiranda9563]

Thank you! Used the Cloud based option and it was perfect! Thanks Again

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@euelllovett9014]

Thank you! It worked like a charm ! (The cloud based option)

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@masonrudisill4335]

Very helpful! I was downloading a mod and I never thought I could get the file open!

[@TechFixFlix]

That’s great @Mason Rudisill. Glad you found it useful.

[@thechicken6430]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@delphinefuentes]

Thank you so much first method worked :)

[@TechFixFlix]

That’s great @Delphine Fuentes. Glad this worked for you.

[@JohnDoeihyt]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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Thanks for the excellent tutorial

[@TechFixFlix]

@bryan gorski You are very welcome.

[@killers_zombies6489]

IT WAS THE THING I WAS LOOKING FOR I AM USING A REDRAGON KUMRA THANKS!

[@TechFixFlix]

Glad you found the content useful. Still using the RedDragon Impact here.

[@7vensoundz851]

Thank you so much brother. I had a audio issues in running my program. I appreciate the step by step lesson. Thank you.

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome. Thank you so much for the positive feedback.

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

That’s great. Glad to hear this worked for you.

[@quintongalane5960]

very helpful. thanks

[@TechFixFlix]

That’s appreciated. Thank you.

[@lazarusrabinovich670]

Wonderful video 👏👏👏

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@DevilGodevil]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@DevilGodevil]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@thakiusmuckfeather1103]

Worked! Thanks a lot!!!!!!!

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@thakiusmuckfeather1103]

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Thank you!!!

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@______586]

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[@TechFixFlix]

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[@XSPARKMAN13X]

I’m downloading video game files to use as 3D prints.. they are being shown as .rar Will the 7zip allow me to convert to STL ? Thanks for any info!

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @Isaac Sparkman. This process will involve either one or two steps, depending upon how the files are packaged. Let’s explore those two possibilities: 1 )..If the files inside the .rar files are in .stl format, you can simply unpack them using 7-Zip and use as the basis for your printing. 2 ).,If the files inside the .rar file are anything other than .stl files, you’ll first need to extract them from the .rar file using 7-Zip, then you’ll need to find another piece of software to convert from whatever format the files arrive in to .stl. From our experience of 3D modelling, this part isn’t always easy, as compatibility between file formats varies. As you’ll appreciate, whichever scenario plays out, your first step will be to use 7-Zip to extract the files from the .rar archive. As 7-Zip is designed for file compression and decompression only, and does not offer file conversion functionality, whether you’ll need additional software to convert the decompressed files is entirely dependent upon what format the files use when extracted.

[@nana-bl6tk]

Quite a wonderful tutorial! Thanks very much!

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @na na. Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the tutorial, which are truly appreciated. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your comment. We have been extensively pursuing activities outside of the KZbin platform for the past six weeks, and consequently we are only now catching up on feedback and questions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

[@SylkaChan]

@@TechFixFlix Does it work on Windows 11?

[@TechFixFlix]

Windows 11 won’t pose any problems. As a web-based service, Cloud Convert is platform-neutral, and will quite happily convert using any web browser. 7-Zip is a long-established app which works on all modern versions of Windows. You’ll be fine whichever method you follow.

[@lmFakeStation]

hey, on the 7 zip when i extract it sais cannot open file as archive

[@TechFixFlix]

This would indicate that the file which you are trying to extract has become corrupted. If possible, try to redownload the .zip file, ideally from a different source. If there isn’t an alternative version of the file which you can download, you’ll need to attempt to repair the file, and there are utilities specifically designed for this purpose, which you’ll find in this list: www.thewindowsclub.com/repair-corrupted-damaged-zip-files For a general overview which includes alternative methods for fixing this error, we’d suggest reading www.thewindowsclub.com/7-zip-cannot-open-file-as-archive Hope this helps.

[@ReGroup762]

this is why i love people

[@TechFixFlix]

Fantastic!

[@gunsbunsandfun]

Thanks!

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@bak8823]

Helpful

[@TechFixFlix]

Thank you. That’s appreciated.

[@swawssfm9760]

thanks for helping me download blade and sorcery mod

[@TechFixFlix]

That’s great. Glad you found it useful.

[@kniveschau9452]

thank you!

[@TechFixFlix]

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10/10 thank you.

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@viperonstation.]

ur a friggin life saver

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@pokeguitaristjake6300]

Really good video I was able to download the Dragon Ball Z Kart 64 Rom Hack on my actual Console and Everdrive 64 for my Nintendo 64 xD

[@TechFixFlix]

Glad you found the content useful.

[@pokeguitaristjake6300]

I'm here using your video again :)

[@TechFixFlix]

Nice to hear you're back again @PokéGuitaristJake.

[@saikrishna2202]

Thank You

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@goodbyeguys6160]

It worked thx

[@TechFixFlix]

That’s great. Glad this worked for you.

[@iodk4815]

Thank you

[@TechFixFlix]

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[@beatbox_tj]

thnx so much

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome.

[@anlygemps]

Um.. I cant get the 7-zip portable app because it says that it dosnt exist anymore... What do I do?

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @the fast boy55 gamer. We’ve just checked the link in the description for our video, which points to portableapps.com/apps/utilities/7-zip_portable and, at the time of this reply (2nd January 2022) we can confirm that it is working for us.

[@anlygemps]

@@TechFixFlix Thats fine. I guess it dosnt work when I type the link. It worked when I clicked the link. Thanks

[@TechFixFlix]

Glad you got this to work.

[@navjyoti6183]

Hii Please help me What have you typed in 8:11 In the dialogue box? Please tell!!

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @Navjyoti, and thanks for being the first person (in more than three years) to ask a question about our crazy folder structure. For the record, the full path typed at 8:11 is: "C:\Program Files\Applications\Utilities\System\Compression\7-Zip\" Of course, you don’t need to type this exact path in order to enable the software to install, and viewers following this video have an entirely free choice as to the installation location. For many years, we have created an organised directory structure, allowing us to easily locate any software we install. At the very top level, we use the standard “Program Files” directory (found in every Windows installation), in which we place two directories named “Apps” and “Games” respectively. We then subdivide our “Apps” into subcategories, with one of the main subcategories being “Utilities,” which also sub-divides into further categories, of which “System” is one. After that, “Compression” is one of the system categories, and “7-Zip” is the lowest node. There are plenty of people who would hate this, and view it as overly fussy. For us, it simply helps with navigation through our P.C., which is crammed full of apps. To make it easier when setting up a new P.C., we retain a saved copy of the blank directory structure, which we copy across to a new machine at the start of every new Windows installation. This means that we impose the same directory structure on every P.C. we set up, meaning that we find the same apps in the same place no matter which machine we use. All of this is entirely personal choice, and everyone is entirely free to follow whatever path they feel most comfortable with.

[@navjyoti6183]

@@TechFixFlix thankyou so much I finally got flash.... Just because of you☺️ And thanks for sharing the folder structure 😊 And one more thing do you know serial number for flash 8 Macromedia because my trial is expiring in next 30 days but my vacation is on! so when my computer teacher start his class my trial will end😔

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi again @Navjyoti, and thanks for that. Unfortunately, we can’t offer any assistance in respect of Flash.

[@navjyoti6183]

@@TechFixFlix it's ok 😃

[@chepteihenryian]

hey TechFixFlix does this also work on files more than 16GB?

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @@chepteihenryian. As our video deals with both CloudConvert.com and 7zip, we’ll need to look at the answer for both options. Starting with CloudConvert.com, we believe the answer is straightforwardly “no” as a consequence of the size restrictions imposed by the site. As far as we can ascertain, users on the free tier can convert files of up to 1GB, with a maximum of five concurrent conversions and uploads limited to 5GB. It may be possible for larger files to be uploaded via U.R.L. or by using the A.P.I. Naturally, users on paid plans will be able to exploit unlimited file sizes. However, given the potential inherent difficulties of transferring a file of that size to and from the internet, offline conversion always represents the most likely option, and we therefore turn to 7zip. Here, we read that 7zip can go all the way to 16 exabytes, or 16000000000 GB, which is clearly many many times greater than 16GB. So we’d go that way.

[@chepteihenryian]

Thanks man for reaching back @@TechFixFlix

[@RhondaTheWriter]

ty so much i was so angry at a site for selling these files without directions how to us😊e

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome @rhondathewriter5176. We agree that it seems strange to use .rar rather than .zip which is far more common and accessible by default on a wider range of systems, and whilst .rar offers a higher rate of compression, this is largely irrelevant in an era of fast connections and unlimited data plans.

[@sravyamacherla5732]

How many thanks I say to you is not enough than you a lot!

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome. Thank you very much indeed.

[@dinoyt630]

Thank youuuuu!!!!)1!!1!1!!!!

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome.

[@Jake-ji9lf]

i get ansy when downloading stuff like this, but it works

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @Jake. It’s a pity that Windows doesn’t incorporate automatic support for .rar files, which would make things more straightforward for everyone, but thankfully the tools shown in our video don’t cause us any concern, and we’re glad you found them useful.

[@hesndnsbsbdndsndksk1328]

Thank you Sir! New subscriber alert hahah! You helped heaps thank you. Just have one question… when I installed the 7zip (full app) I am able to view the files on the 7zip app without converting it to my laptop, is that safe? furthermore is 7zip free? And lastly, is there any way the creator of the rar could see if I have viewed the folder or not (it’s teaching videos)? Thank you for your time sir

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi there, and thank you for the subscription, which is very much appreciated. Turning to your questions, it’s entirely normal (and safe) for you to be able to view the contents of a compressed file using 7-Zip before you have fully extracted these files to your laptop. You may find that some normal file handling functions will be unavailable, or at the very least will be slower, whilst the files remain within the compressed folder, and we’d always recommend extracting them before working with them, but nevertheless it’s entirely safe to view them in 7-Zip before extracting them to another folder. 7-Zip is indeed entirely free, and near the top of the web page at 7-zip.org, you’ll see a paragraph which advises that “7-Zip is free software [and] open source.” In terms of whether the .rar creator could tell whether or not you’ve opened the folder, there is no functionality of this type built into .rar files by default, meaning that the folder creator would need to go to quite extraordinary lengths to achieve this, using specialist software and techniques which would be beyond the skills of the average computer user. In short, for everyday use, there is very little prospect of your use being tracked in this way. Hope this helps.

[@hesndnsbsbdndsndksk1328]

@@TechFixFlix thank you for your time and reply bro! Just wish I found you earlier hahaha!

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome.

[@MRUGEE]

So no need for winrar? Great cause winrar isn’t working for me

[@TechFixFlix]

One of our golden rules…Always have multiple routes to achieving the same objective,

[@iamb6325]

its not showing extract option

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @I am B. We’re wondering whether this might come down to the difference between the “portable” version versus the full installer. Only the full installer adds entries to your right click context menu (see 08:28 in our video) whereas the portable version does not. So, if you’re using the portable version, you won’t see extract options in your context menu. The only other possibility we’d consider is whether the file you’re trying to open is truly a .rar file, as if it’s been incorrectly identified it won’t necessarily open with 7-Zip, or whether it’s entirely empty and therefore has no content to extract.

[@thaatguyyyy]

it didnt convert it to zip for me

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi Alan. Which of the three methods were you trying, and what happened?

[@alwintdmbgmi3918]

Thanks god

[@zeron7461]

ok now I can download beatsaber custom sabers thanks

[@TechFixFlix]

Glad you found the content useful.

[@plassmakescoolstuff]

is cloud convert safe?

[@TechFixFlix]

We certainly believe that it is, and have used it successfully for some time.

[@plassmakescoolstuff]

@@TechFixFlix Okay i'll see!

[@plassmakescoolstuff]

@@TechFixFlix quick question will it have the same things in the folder?

[@TechFixFlix]

Absolutely. You’ll receive a directly converted version of whatever you put in.

[@plassmakescoolstuff]

@@TechFixFlix Okay it worked thanks!^^

[@r3l1csvk]

thanks for the video especially the part right after introduction...was looking for videos and googling for an answer if windows 10 can deal with rars by itself and if yes,how...your video tho showed me that w10 cant do so by itself 7:56 when you mentioned User Account Control,the inner Doom fan within me went like "Shit,UAC is everywhere!"

[@TechFixFlix]

Ahh, the Union Aerospace Corporation and their nefarious activities. We still remember our first glimpse of Doom in the mid nineties…a golden era.

[@johnnyappleseedz422]

"Select Format" > "Extract" is no longer an option 03/12/2023

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @Johnny Appleseedz. Only the labelling has changed here, and all of the functionality remains present, and in the same location. We tested with a .rar file on 13th March 2023, and the process for us was as follows: 1 )..Navigate to cloudconvert.com in your browser. 2 )..Click the large red “Select File” button to select a file from your computer. (Alternatively, click the dropdown arrow to the right for additional options including U.R.L., Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive). 3 )..Navigate to the .rar file saved on your computer. Select the .rar file. Click “Open.” 4 )..Click “Convert to.” 5 )..You’ll see five choices, namely 7Z, TAR, TAR.BZ2, TAR.GZ, and ZIP. 6 )..We would select .zip here, as we know that Windows can handle .zip files natively. 7 )..Now click the large red “Convert” button, and wait whilst the file converts. 8 )..Once conversion is complete, click the large green “Download” button. 9 )..The converted file downloads as a .zip file. You can now navigate to this file in Windows and open it or extract the content.

[@johnnyappleseedz422]

@@TechFixFlix Thank you for your detailed response

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome.

[@sweetheartsen]

Nothing helped, im looking for a video on how to extract a .rar file into a file explorer file

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @Pomken Dip. You might need to explain more fully what you’re trying to do here. There’s no such thing as a “file explorer file.” A .rar file is a single file which contains one or more files in compressed format. When we open the .rar file using any of the three methods shown in the video, we extract its content into File Explorer. What you see in File Explorer is whatever was contained within the .rar file. Let us know what you’re trying to do if you’d like us to help.

[@sweetheartsen]

@@TechFixFlix basically an un compressed format but not in the desktop, it just wont do this and i cant really play with my friends because of this issue

[@TechFixFlix]

We’re not sure we fully understand your issue here. The process should be as straightforward as: 1 )..Obtain the .rar file, typically by downloading it from the internet. 2 )..Use any of the three methods shown in our video to extract the contents of the .rar file. 3 )..Navigate to the location of the extracted files and use them in whatever way you need. Once files have been extracted, you can copy, cut and paste them to any location of your choosing. For example, if your files are extracting to your desktop, you could simply cut and paste them into a File Explorer window.

[@sweetheartsen]

@@TechFixFlix thx u helped me out alot! now the rest for me and my friends to figure out (nothing to do with this)

[@TechFixFlix]

Good luck with the next phase.

[@EpicMakesEverythingBetter]

why in the f@ck can't windows open .rar files. How stupid is that?

[@TechFixFlix]

Hi @EpicMakesEverythingBetter. Native support built into Windows would make matters so much easier. We believe that .rar is a proprietary format, and as such would need to be licenced. Presumably Microsoft don’t want to do that for financial, technical or business reasons, but, as a commonly used file format, this has the consequence of making matters more complicated for the end user.

[@thetankfc4254]

Thank you

[@TechFixFlix]

You are very welcome.