Free RAR Extractor List
What’s with all the people asking how to open RAR files? Sure, RAR is a very good archiver offering nice file compression ratio; it’s actually the archiver I use and there are probably several .rar files to be found even on this site. But the real popularity of .rar files probably comes from BitTorrent. Many torrents are compressed with WinRar, so you get people asking for a RAR extractor.
It might seem like an obvious solution to just download the original WinRar software, but RAR is shareware and not everyone can endure the nag-screens or buy the full version. So today I’ll tell you how to open RAR files using only free software – no matter what your operating system is.
RAR Extractor For Windows
My freeware .rar extractor of choice is certainly 7-zip (download page). Once you install it, you can simply right-click a RAR file and choose 7-zip -> Extract here to extract it. 7-zip also handles multi-volume (”spanned”) archives – just make sure you click the first volume when telling it to extract. 7-zip is completely free – in fact, it’s open source.
RAR Extractor For Linux
There’s a good tutorial describing in detail how to install and use the unrar command on various versions of UNIX-based operating systems – Open rar file or Extract rar files under Linux or UNIX. I’ve heard there’s also a Linux version of 7-zip that you could use for opening .rar files – check their site.
… And For Mac
UnRarX is what Mac OS users can employ to open RAR files. Not only a .rar extractor, UnRarX can also restore corrupted and missing archives.
In conclusion
So there you have it – RAR extractors for every popular operating system. Feel free to send the whining BitTorrent junkies to this page if someone asks “how do i open this file!??one!?” again 
Well excuuuuuuse me! When will computer experts realise not knowing about technology doesn’t make you a moron, it just means you don’t know about technology. Like not knowing how to speak fluent Chinese doesn’t make you a moron, it’s just not a priority for you.
Maybe computers are just a small part of your life and you like to spend the majority of your time on other things, like literature, food, music, important stuff!
I’m a graphic designer, know computers better than my own mother, and enjoy all of those things. Sorry Tracey, but that comment was a bit moronic.
Hi I am trying to get some music from Rapidshare links but nothing is happening. Am I doing something wrong. Thanks, Phil
Well, could you elaborate?
Jzip is not a clean program. It has adware in the installation.
well, jzip is fine with me!
In reply to Tracy: It’s alright, there are a lot of people out there who don’t know as much about computers as would seem common. I know people young and old who’ve never had the chance to use a computer until later in their life. Learning is the way we progress but is not limited to the narrow plane that some may like to think.
In reply to Cindy; don’t be a cunt. I know computers better than my mother and many other peoples mothers, the fact of the matter is, the younger you are, by and large, the more exposure to computers you’ve had. You being a graphic designer goes to show that you chose to take a path in life that requires computers thus you will assuredly know more than others who didn’t go to school for it or choose a job in such a field. So cram your smug cancerous comments up your ragged and distended ass-hole. I hope you get gang-raped by homeless people and die of internal bleeding caused by the ravaging. This is cruel yes, but it doesn’t compare to how cruel your statement was to Tracy. You went out of your way to make her feel stupid and inadequate while attempting to elevate your own self-esteem. How pathetic.
A wise man once told me trains may seem common to you and not very exciting at all, but to this boy, they are quite the opposite. The boy in question had never seen a train before because there were none where he grew up.
This sort of thing may seem unheard of and possibly even unbelievable to you but some people don’t get the same amount of exposure to what is “common” in your life or in that of others whom you know. So think before you speak and don’t assume that every one else has or knows what you do. (some parents forbid the use of computers and television in the belief that they will “rot the brain” as it were).
and no, I don’t actually hope you are raped, I said it to be cruel and hurtful and make you think twice before you go saying inane shit that is intended to offend or hurt others.
You did after all go to school for computers, Tracy clearly didn’t so keep that in mind next time you think someone should know as much as you do (you went to school for it, they didn’t).
really really thanx it was a bunch of help, as how many files i deleted which were RAR so i couldnt understand how it opens or extracts buh u cleared mah difficulty and really made it very easy fo me to understand n even da download link mentioned really worked n helped me out.
keep up da good work CHEERS n 1s again thanx
Hey there, what media player does everybody use to play movies once extracted?
Im running mac osx leopard and just got quicktime!
Cheers Marcus!
I never heard of 7-Zip until today. I downloaded and it worked perfect. There is no more need of winzip or winrar!
I downloaded the 7-zip program but can not to get it to work. None of my files are password protected. I do not have a password to use my computer.
I did check the help file and it said to use “secret”. I tried that and still does not work.
I have tried this with the rar file extension and the r00 file extension and it still ask for a pasword. What to do? What to do?
I have a video that has been compressed with an extension starting with r00 or nfo.
I hope i don’t make anyone upset with this. I know a little about computers but this is with videos and torrents and such which I do not know much about.
So, any help?
Thank You
Some people put a password on their torrents; it’s quite annoying. Open the NFO file in Notepad and see if you can find the password there. If not, you’re probably better off just downloading a different version of the movie.
i accidentally renamed a file to google chrome. now when i tryy to extract that file nothing happens. help?
Thanx, this site is realy helpful
is this really working? havent tried it.
Thanx, this really worked for me.
kkkkk wat happens after i extract i can play the game it was in the beginning a torrent folder with rar so now can i play ??????????????????????
plz someone answer
I am downloading the dark knight (blu-ray version). Its 8gb and its split into 89 rar files. Anyway i wanna check that its all good and stuff so thought id just download the first 5 rar files. Anyway when i begin extracting it (rar file number 1) it keeps sayin packed data crc failed in the dark knight.mkv. The volume is corrupt.
Everyones comments on the torrent say its brilliant it all works fine.
Each rar file is 95.3mb. Is it doing this bacause i havent downloaded the 89 files. Also please dont tell me its anything to do with this fat32 – ntfs milarky, cos if so then thats a right pain cos i decided to use the rar version as i found out u cant really put just one 8gb file onto ur external hard drive if its not been converted to ntfs.
One final thing, i’m downloading lost series 5. it has each episode in a rar file and the whole series is about 5gb. anyway im able to download each episode individually and extract each episode individually fine so was hoping the dark knight was goin to work the same way.
Hope u understood all that haha, i appreciate ur feedback
This is completely normal; you get the error because you don’t have all the parts. You can still check the video quality or whatever if you find the partially extracted file and play it through VLC.
many thanks for ur reply, and sorry if i sound dumb how can i partially extract it. thats the problem im having anyway, its not letting me extract the file in the first place. is it just easier to wait till its all done. but i dont want to download 8gb if im not happy with it
p.s: just to say ive never downloaded a movie in rar format before, ive always just down an avi or mkv file, which was nice an easy, so forgive me if i sound like a complete novice
If you’re using 7zip, right-click the first file, then click 7-Zip -> Extract Here. You’ll get the error message again, but the program will also put the partially extracted file in the current directory. This doesn’t work if you actually open the archive in the 7-zip File Manager and then try to extract it – in that case it will automatically remove the partially extracted file without asking.
Looks like its worked now, many thanks
PERFECT .. thanks bro .. ill never think twice before downloading a rar file … cheers
hey thanks… saved me a load of headache
hello ppl, continuing the above thread eventhgh i had all the parts while extracting its saying packed data crc failed in part 6
….i hav downloaded 3gb for lord of the rings..ppl pls help out how to fix it….the partial xtracting is also not working
Try re-downloading just the problematic part. Most BitTorrent clients should have the option to re-download only specific files.
hi, i’m just new to this so I was wanting to know (on the 7-zip download page) which one is best to download?
I’ve got windows xp is that helps
I’ve been running 7-Zip for about 6 mths. on XP Pro. with Windows MP and VLC. File extraction and play for multi-volume RAR’s is easier than any of the other programs I’ve tried. In short: I love it!
Doesn’t fit the topic I know but my Windows Media Player is buggering me about while out of the blue when I double click a mpg the regular programme doesn’t open it. Nothing happens at all and it appears to have gone altogether?
HELP.