To open and extract RAR files with 7-Zip, press WINDOWS + S to launch the ‘Search’ menu, enter ‘7-Zip File Manager’ in the text field, and click on the relevant search result to launch the app. Once 7-Zip has been successfully installed, here’s how you can open and extract files using the software. After you have downloaded 7-Zip, locate the file and double-click on it to run the installer, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process. To download the 7-Zip software, go to, and download either the 32-bit or 64-bit version, depending on the version of Windows 11 installed on the system. It’s a free and open-source file archiver that can easily read and extract multiple formats, including RAR. However, WinRAR requires a paid subscription after the initial trial period (40 days).įor those of you looking for free software that can be used to open and extract the contents of a RAR file, there are many available on the web. You can use the WinRAR software that was initially used for creating the file to extract its contents. Windows 11 does not offer any built-in methods or tools to open or extract RAR files. However, most RAR files you come across won’t have either of the two, thus we won’t delve deeper into the concept. These files can be encrypted and password-protected if the particular setting is selected when creating the file. When you use the WinRAR software to compress a file or folder, the resulting files have the ‘RAR’ extension or are simply RAR files. It occupies lesser storage as compared to when it’s in normal form like any other file on the system. What is a RAR File?Ī RAR (Roshal ARchive) file is a compressed file that may hold other files and folders. You may have come across ZIP files on Windows 11 which can be easily extracted with the built-in tools but it’s not the same with RAR files.īut, before we walk you through the opening and extracting of RAR files in Windows 11, it’s imperative that you have a thorough understanding of the format.

This is where compressing the files comes into the picture.

Ever wanted to share a large file over the web but couldn’t due to the size limit set in place? It has happened to most of us.

Rar file opener free windows 10