How to Open RAR Files
Learn the difference between compression formats., Familiarize yourself with the RAR format.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn the difference between compression formats.
There are several different file formats that offer compression.
Compression is when multiple files are packaged together into one file, or archive.
Compression software packs the files so that the single archive takes up less space than the individual files.
This makes transferring large quantities of files much easier.
The most common compression formats are .zip and .rar.
Windows has support for zip files built in natively; to extract .rar files, you will need special software. -
Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the RAR format.
A single file with a .rar extension is a compressed file (often called an "archive") that may contain 1 or many files.
For example, a .rar file may contain hundreds of images compressed into a single archive.
To view these files, you have to first extract or "unpack" the .rar archive.
RAR archives can be split into multiple pieces, or volumes, when the original archive is too large.
Each of these pieces can be transferred individually, and then are reassembled by the compression program.
RAR archives with multiple volumes typically have the extensions "file.part1.rar," "file.part2.rar," etc. or "file.rar," "file.r01," "file.r02," etc.
Detailed Guide
There are several different file formats that offer compression.
Compression is when multiple files are packaged together into one file, or archive.
Compression software packs the files so that the single archive takes up less space than the individual files.
This makes transferring large quantities of files much easier.
The most common compression formats are .zip and .rar.
Windows has support for zip files built in natively; to extract .rar files, you will need special software.
A single file with a .rar extension is a compressed file (often called an "archive") that may contain 1 or many files.
For example, a .rar file may contain hundreds of images compressed into a single archive.
To view these files, you have to first extract or "unpack" the .rar archive.
RAR archives can be split into multiple pieces, or volumes, when the original archive is too large.
Each of these pieces can be transferred individually, and then are reassembled by the compression program.
RAR archives with multiple volumes typically have the extensions "file.part1.rar," "file.part2.rar," etc. or "file.rar," "file.r01," "file.r02," etc.
About the Author
Jennifer Robinson
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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