How do I extract files with WinRAR?
 

In order to extract a file using WinRAR in the shell mode you must first open the required archive in WinRAR. This may be achieved in one of several ways:

• double-click or press Enter on the archive name in the Windows shell (Explorer or Desktop). If WinRAR was associated with archives during installation (the default installation option), an archive will be opened in WinRAR. You also may associate WinRAR with archives after installation using the Integration settings dialog;
• double-click or press Enter on the archive name in the WinRAR window;
• drag-and-drop an archive to the WinRAR icon or window. Before doing this ensure that WinRAR does not already display another archive, otherwise the dropped archive will be added to the currently displayed archive;
• run WinRAR from the command line with a single parameter - the archive name.

When an archive is opened in WinRAR, its contents are displayed. Select files and folders, which should be extracted. You may do this by using the Shift + arrow keys or Shift + left mouse button as in Windows Explorer and other Windows programs. Also in WinRAR it is possible to select files using the Space or Ins keys. "Gray +" and "Gray -" keys on the numeric keypad allow the selection of groups of files using file masks.

Having selected one or more files, click the Extract To button at the top of the WinRAR window or press Alt+E , enter the destination folder in the dialog box and click OK. This dialog box also offers a few advanced options (see the Extraction path and options dialog for more information).

During the extraction process, a window will be displayed showing operation statistics. If you wish to break the extraction process, click on the Cancel button in the command window. You may press the "Background" button in this window to minimize WinRAR to the tray. If the extraction is completed without errors, WinRAR will return to the shell, in case of an error, a Diagnostic message window will be displayed.

How do I handle RAR files?
 

WinRAR provides complete support for RAR files, so you may both create and unpack them.

If you installed WinRAR on your computer and downloaded a RAR file from the Internet, you may double click on the RAR file icon to open it in WinRAR, select all files, press the "Extract To" button, enter a destination path and press "OK".

Another way is to click on the RAR file in Explorer using the right mouse Button. If you enabled the "Shell integration" option when installing WinRAR, the file context menu will contain the "Extract to ..." item.

I get an error like "CRC failed in file name. The file is corrupt"! 
 

File data are corrupt. Archive may be damaged after creation. In this case it is sometimes possible to repair it if it has the recovery record.

It also could have been broken while creating, due to hardware failures (usually caused by an over-clocked CPU or unreliable memory).

In the latter case the recovery record will not help. The only way to detect if the repair will help is to try to apply the repair command to the archive and test the results.

Check, if you have installed the recent version - if not, please download the actual WinRAR/RAR version from here. We always improve all functions with every update.

What is the maximum file and archive size limitation? 
 

The size of a RAR or ZIP archive, as well as the size of any single file within a RAR archive, is limited to 8,589,934,591 GB (9,223,372,036,854,775,807 bytes).

Note that to create archives larger than 4 GB, you need to use NTFS, as older file systems do not support such large files.

In general the RAR archive format is optimal for heavy tasks involving huge number of files and gigabytes of disk space.

What is the difference between command line WinRAR and RAR?
 

In addition to WinRAR you will find, in the distributive, the file rar.exe.

It is also a 32-bit RAR version for Windows, but it supports only the command line, text mode interface.

It is useful to call console RAR from BAT and CMD files, to use it in the DOS prompt and so on. It supports a larger number of command line switches and commands when compared with WinRAR, but it does't support ZIP and other formats.

Though common aspects of the command line WinRAR syntax considered in the Command line interface chapter are also true for console RAR, this help file does not contain descriptions of those switches and commands, which are supported only by the console version. You should read the rar.txt file for a detailed description of all console RAR features.

Though common aspects of the command line WinRAR syntax considered in the Command line interface chapter are also true for console RAR, this help file does not contain descriptions of those switches and commands, which are supported only by the console version. You should read the rar.txt file for a detailed description of all console RAR features.

How do I register WinRAR? 
 

The most convenient way of purchasing your license is to order directly on the internet.

On our website  you can now download the latest version of WinRAR and make your payment by Phone, Fax, US check, wire transfer or any major credit card. You also get an invoice screen after completing the order where you can print your invoice for your bookkeeping.

The license key will then be sent to you instantly by e-mail.

This key file will correspond to the registration string given in the order form.

Upon receipt of your registration key file you should put it in the WinRAR folder.
For English users this is usually "C:\Program Files\WinRAR".
For German users this is usually "C:\Programme\WinRAR".

If the key is archived in a .RAR file, please extract the key from the archive in order to register your copy of WinRAR.

How can I split files to multivolume archives?
 

If you compress your file(s), you can enter the volume size in the "Split to volumes" field in the "archive name and parameters dialog: general options" to create volumes (multi part archives).

By default it is entered in bytes. But if you add a lowercase letter 'k' at the end of the volume size, the entered value will be considered as kilobytes (multiplied by 1024).
Use an uppercase 'K' to denote thousand of bytes (multiply by 1000), 'm' means megabytes and 'M' - million of bytes.

It is also possible to select the volume size from the list associated with this item. Note that if you are archiving to a removable disk, you may select "Autodetect" from the list and WinRAR will choose the volume size automatically for each new volume.

To unpack volumes you need to start extraction from the first volume. Select "Process all files in all volumes from the current" in the menu that appears.
If volumes are stored on non-removable media like a hard disk, you need to put all volumes in the same folder before starting extraction.

To repack a single rar/zip/tar/... archive into multi volumes archives, please use the the convert function available as of WinRAR 3.10.

What is the wizard interface?
 

The WinRAR Wizard interface is designed for novice users and allows them to perform basic compression and decompression operations using a simple step by step procedure.

You need to press the Wizard button on the WinRAR toolbar to display the wizard dialog. By default this button is visible both inside and outside of archives, but you may disable or enable it like other toolbar buttons with the "Select buttons…" option in the General settings dialog. Another option in the "General settings" dialog, called "Activate Wizard on start", allows you to run the Wizard every time WinRAR starts.

Every Wizard dialog contains a brief instruction at the top, describing dialog contents and possible user actions. You may also press the Help button to get more detailed instructions.

RAR versus ZIP
 

Compared to the ZIP 2.0 standard file format, RAR provides a number of advanced features: more convenient multipart (multivolume) archives, tight compression including special solid, multimedia and text modes, strong AES-256encryption, recovery records helping to repair an archive even in the case of physical data damage, Unicode support to process non-English file names and a lot more.

I get an error like "Packed data CRC failed in volume name. The volume is corrupt"! 
 

This message may be displayed together with the message "CRC failed in file name. The file is corrupt" and may help to detect exactly which volume is corrupt. If a big file is split between a few volumes and only one volume has been damaged after archive creation.

Depending on corrupt archive details, RAR may display or skip this message. The message "CRC failed in file name. The file is corrupt" is always displayed if the file data are damaged.

Check to see if you have installed the recent version. If not, please download the actual WinRAR/RAR version here. We always improve all functions with every update.

How can I extract a volume to view the content?
 

You can unpack the archives using the "Keep broken files" option from the "Extraction path and options dialog".

But most of the files don't work if they are broken.

You can try it. Perhaps a mpg video works, if you unpack only the first parts.

For most of the files you need the file header. The file header is placed in the first part of the file. In the header you find the information, if it's a movie or a text or a sound file.

So the best way is to download the first volume and extract it with the "keep broken files" option.

If you have ie: "sample.r08", extraction only works, if the multi volume archives are non-solid. You can see information about the archive using the info function.

But not all movies will be played with the first part. Some players check the length of the file and if it is different from the header entry they report an error. The same occurs with pictures.

I failed to extract files from a solid multivolume RAR archive because one archive volume was damaged (bad floppy diskette). Help me!
 

First of all, you should use RAR recovery record when storing archives onto unreliable media such as floppies. Generally, it is not recommended to create solid archives in this case. You should use the normal (non solid) mode instead.

If you have a damaged volume of a solid archive, try to repair the damaged volume. It helps if you used RAR recovery when you created the archive. You may check for the presence of a recovery record in the archive by using the Show information command. Rename recovered volume, fixed.arcname.rar (if recovery record was not used, WinRAR builds only rebuilt.arcname.rar) to the actual volume name and try to unpack your archive again, starting with the first volume.

How can I switch to the old extension based naming scheme (*.rar,*.r00 to *.r99)?
 

By default RAR volumes have names like 'volname.partNNN.rar', where NNN is the volume number. You can use the following options to change to the old style extension based naming scheme, where the first volume file in a multi-volume set has the extension .rar, following volumes are numbered from .r00 to .r99. 

It may make sense, if you are going to unpack an archive under the plain MS DOS, which does not allow more than one dot in a file name.

WinRAR grafical interface:

Please enable the "Old style volume names" option in the "Archive name and parameters dialog: advanced options".

WinRAR and RAR command line mode:

Using -vn switch it is possible to switch to another, extension based naming scheme.

How do I archive files with WinRAR?
 

First, you need to run WinRAR. Double-click or press Enter on the WinRAR icon. You can also start it from the Windows "Start menu": under "Programs" then "WinRAR" and then run the "WinRAR" item.

When WinRAR is running, it displays a list of files and folders in the current folder. You need to go to the folder, which contains files to archive. You may use Ctrl+D, the disks list below the toolbar or click on the small disk icon in the bottom left corner, to change the current disk. Press BS, Ctrl+PgUp, small "Up" button below the toolbar or double-click on the folder named ".." to go to the parent folder. Press Enter, Ctrl+PgDn or double-click on any other folder to enter that folder. Ctrl+ will set the root disk folder as the current folder.

When you have entered the folder with the desired files, select the files and folders, which you are going to archive. This may be achieved by using Shift + arrow keys or the mouse as in Windows Explorer and other Windows programs. It is also possible, in WinRAR, to select files using the Space or Ins keys. "Gray +" and "Gray -" keys on the numeric keypad allow the selection of groups of files using file masks.

Having selected one or more files, click on the Add button at the top of the WinRAR window, press Alt+A or select the "Add files to archive" command in the Commands menu. Enter the destination archive name in the dialog box which appears or simply accept the default name. You may select, in this dialog, the format of the new archive (RAR or ZIP), compression level, volume size and other archiving parameters. This dialog is described in detail in the Archive name and parameters dialog topic. Click on the OK button when you are ready to create the archive.

During the archiving process, a window will be displayed showing operation statistics. If you wish to break the archiving process, click on the Cancel button in the command window. You may press the "Background" button in this window to minimize WinRAR to the tray. When archiving is completed, the command window disappears and the newly created archive becomes the currently selected file.

It is also possible to add files, to an existing RAR archive, using drag-and-drop. Select the desired archive in the WinRAR window and press Enter (or double click) on its name. RAR will read the archive and display its contents. You may now add files to the archive by simply dragging them from another program and dropping them to WinRAR.

Example 01: Add files to an archive
 

Syntax:

RAR ‹command› [ -‹switches› ] ‹archive› [ @‹listfiles›... ]

[ ‹files›... ] [ ‹path_to_extract\› ]

Example A:

create or update existing archive myarch, by adding all files in the current directory

rar a myarch

Example B:

create or update existing archive C:Backupmyarch, by adding all files in the directory C:Settings and C:Work and in all sub-directories of both directories. (Switch -r : Recurse subdirectories)

rar a -r C:\Backupmyarch C:\Settings C:\Work

I get an error like "Unknown method in filename"!
 

Older WinRAR versions (< 2.90) don't have the improved compression methods found in WinRAR 3.0 and above.

Either a RAR 3.0 archive is being unpacked by RAR 2.8 or older or a ACE 2.0 archive is being unpacked by WinRAR 2.8 or older.

In this case please update your old WinRAR/RAR version to the actual release.

What is a RAR file?
 

RAR is the native format of the WinRAR archiver.

Like other archives, RAR files are data containers. They store one or several files in the compressed form.

After you download a RAR file from the Internet, you need to unpack its contents in order to use them.

I have forgotten my password, how can I recover it?
 

RAR encryption does not contain backdoors, so the only possible way to find a password is to test all possible character combinations.

Remember that if you lose your password, you will be unable to retrieve the encrypted files, not even the WinRAR author is able to extract encrypted files.

What is the maximum number of files that can be added to an archive?
 

The number of files, which can be added to an archive, depends upon the amount of available memory and the length of the file names. Roughly 128 bytes of memory are required per archived file for a RAR archive. For example, it is recommended to have 128 MB if you are going to archive millions of files. WinRAR has been tested to handle over 10 million files.

I get an error like "Invalid or corrupt authenticity information"!
 

The Archive has been created using an -av switch (add information about archive and archive creator), but this information is corrupt or wrong. It may indicate that archive data are damaged or a corrupt or fake (illegal) rarreg.key was used to add the authenticity information.

Check to see if you have installed the recent version - if not, please download the actual WinRAR/RAR version here. We always improve all functions with every update.