Today there are many tasks that we carry out exclusively from the computer. This has made us familiar with a number of concepts such as programs, applications, folders, files, and formats. As for the formats, we generally know those of image, video, documents and a very popular one are those that represent compression such as .Rar. Therefore, we want to talk about how to unzip a rar file from Windows.
This is a fairly simple task and for which there are dozens of alternatives, however, here we are going to comment on the most reliable and secure ones. It is noteworthy that there are no native ways to do this task, so we are going to rely on third-party applications.
What is a rar file?
Before going into the matter of how to decompress a Rar file, it is interesting to know what it is. In that sense, RAR stands for Roshal ARchive, an archive format based on a lossless compression algorithm. This means that the mechanism it uses to reduce the space occupied by the data allows its complete and exact restructuring of the original file.
All of the above basically means that Rar is a file type capable of making data weigh much less, without deleting anything. The format has been with us since 1993 when it was launched and today it is probably the best alternative when we want to save space when handling high volumes of data. In this way, we can find compressed files in this way in all areas, from the corporate when sending emails, to making simple downloads on the Internet.
The decompression of Rar files is really simple and at the moment, there is a wide range of solutions capable of doing the job in a couple of clicks.
3 Solutions to Unzip Rar Files
WinRAR
When talking about how to unzip a Rar file, WinRar must be in the conversation. This application was created in 1995 by Ron Dwight, as a way to take advantage of the benefits offered by the Rar compression format. It is the most popular file decompression solution in the world and you probably already have it installed on your computer.
Its use process is really simple and in a matter of a couple of clicks you will be able to have your files uncompressed. To carry out this task we have a couple of options, the first one will be to double click on the Rar file in question so that the application window is displayed showing the files. At this point you can go to the “Extract To” option to choose the folder where you want to unzip. On the other hand, it is also possible to select the files inside WinRar and drag it wherever you want.
Additionally, the application is capable of incorporating its options to the contextual menu. In this way, to decompress, all you have to do is right-click on the file and click on the Extract Files or Extract Here option.
It should also be noted that the application has support for other compression formats such as CAB, JAR, ZIP and more.
7zip
Like WinRar, 7Zip was born with the purpose of taking advantage of the compression potential of a specific format, in this case, 7Z. However, over time it becomes necessary to diversify the catalog of compatible formats and although it does not compress yet, it is possible to decompress files in Rar format. It is a completely free application, light and with an extremely simple operation and similar to the previous solution.
In that sense, if you are looking for how to unzip a Rar file with 7Zip, you will have to locate it and double click on it. This will open the application window showing the files that are inside the compression. Now, just click on the “Extract” button and you will be able to choose the folder where the files in question will be stored.
It should also be noted that 7Zip adds its options to the context menu, so that by selecting the file and right clicking, we will have the possibility of quickly decompressing. If you are looking for a free alternative that does not bother with promotional windows and is easy to use, do not hesitate to try it.
extract.me
Finally, an option with online operation, through the browser, could not be missing from our list. These types of applications are kind enough to support us at times when we do not have an application installer or simply do not have the possibility of executing installations. In this sense, Extract.me is presented as a free, versatile and effective alternative.
We are talking about its versatility because you will be able to decompress files stored in Google Drive, Dropbox or hosted on a website. Thus, you will be able to carry out this task, even without downloading files to your computer.
To get started, first select your file from your computer or any of your cloud storage services. Immediately, the process of uploading the file and its processing by the system will begin. Finally, the files that are inside the compressed will be shown with the option to download them or even send them to any folder in the cloud.