With download sites, online clouds, and huge collections of zipped files all over the internet, you'll need a way to open zipped files and get their data out. You might even want to share your files but can't because they are too big to send or connect properly. WinRAR is your one-size-fits-all option. It is a simple, easy-to-use program that lets you remove, handle, compress, and secure any zipped files you want to move.
Installing WinRAR
You can download WinRAR from the link above. Ensure you pick the right version for your language and operating system (32-bit or 64-bit). If you don't know which one is right for you, press Win+Pause to open a window showing your system type and a few other important things.
You can also find the same box by moving to Control Panel > System and Security > System. Next, WinRAR will ask you to choose all the file types you want to recognize and use. We suggest leaving this as the default since, most of the time, and you'll be working with zip, 7-Zip, and RAR files. When you click "Done," you'll be ready to go.
File Extraction
One of the main things WinRAR does is get the files out of a zipped folder. We will show you two various ways to do this.
Method 1
The first way is to use the WinRAR program to get the files out. Once you've gotten the zipped file you want, right-click on it and pick "Open with WinRAR". The next step is to click the Extract To button on the menu at the top. Choose where you want to go and click OK. Now, all of your things will be there.
Method 2
We like the second way better. Just right-click on the file you want to export and select "Extract Here". All files in the folder will be unzipped into the current window.
If you want to use this feature, we suggest you first make a new folder, preferably on your desktop. Drag the zipped file or copy and paste it into this new folder. This way, when you choose "Extract Here," the files will all go to the same easy-to-find place instead of getting lost in a big general folder like your C: drive or Downloads.
How to compress (zip) a file
The other best thing about WinRAR is that it lets you compress and zip your files. This is particularly helpful if you must email someone more than one big picture. You can start by choosing the files you want to move (hold down Ctrl and click to select more than one file) or dragging them to your desktop so they are easy to find. We like the second idea best.
Once all the files are chosen, click "Add to Archive". It will bring up a window like this: You can put the name of your new saved file in the field at the top. But before you click OK, choose "best" from the drop-down choice for "compression".
Select the size of your file.
WinRAR's ability to set format sizes from bytes to gigabytes is one of its most useful features when compression and merging files into a new zipped format. This is helpful if you need to break up a big file into smaller pieces that are easier to work with.
To do this, click the drop-down menu in the bottom left corner that says Split to volumes, size. This will let you choose how big each file section will be, and the drop-down menu to the right will change whether the file has been divided into bytes, KB, MB, or GB.
Use a password to protect your work.
Last, you can use a password to protect your newly compressed file with WinRAR. This is a smart thing to add to ensure safety won't be jeopardized. To protect your file with a password, click the Set Password button above the OK button. Enter and confirm your password here. You will be asked for it again when you try to unzip the files.
If you're still not sure what to perform, check out this helpful movie that shows: WinRAR has many more features, like saving up files, keeping old versions, shrinking files, and putting them in different folders, but we simply wished to provide you a general thought of what it can do. We hope our guide was useful and that it will be easy for you to view, control, and share information online.
Additional uses for compression and release
You can compress and uncompress files with WinZip, 7-Zip, and PeaZip. Both WinZIP and WinRAR are free to try. They are free initially, but you must pay to keep using them. Both 7-Zip and PeaZip are free programs. 7-Zip is a good option for WinRAR because it has similar features and an easy-to-use layout.
7-Zip has an easy-to-use interface, just like WinRAR. Even though both apps look the same, WinRAR has more features, like the Repair and Wizard tools. The Wizard tool helps new users learn how to use the program. With the Repair tool, it's easy to fix broken data. Even though WinRAR has more functions, it takes longer for 7-Zip to compress files.
