Overview
WinRAR is one of those programs that ends up on a machine within the first hour and then stays there for a decade. It reads every archive format anyone still uses, it writes the two that matter, and it handles the multi part sets that large files are distributed in without needing to be told anything. The interface has changed very little in twenty years, which at this point is a feature.
This is the current release with the licensing already registered, so the reminder window that appears at the end of the trial period never shows up. Nothing else is modified: the compression engine, the recovery record handling, the shell integration and the command line tools are all exactly as shipped. Both architectures are in the archive and the multilingual interface is selectable during setup.
Formats and extraction
On the reading side it handles the whole list: the RAR family including the older versions, ZIP with the newer compression methods, and the compressed archive formats used by other tools including the tape archive and disk image variants. Multi part sets are recognised from any part, so pointing it at the first file of a numbered set extracts the whole thing without you assembling anything.
Damaged archives are where the program earns its reputation. If the archive was written with a recovery record it can rebuild missing sectors and complete the extraction, and even without one it will extract everything up to the point of damage rather than refusing the whole file. The repair function is worth running before giving up on any transfer that ended badly.
Creating archives
The compression settings that matter are the dictionary size, the solid archive option and the recovery record percentage. A larger dictionary improves the ratio on large collections of similar files at the cost of memory. Solid archives compress the whole set as a single stream, which is dramatically better on many small similar files but means extracting one file requires reading everything before it.
Splitting into parts of a chosen size handles the transfer limits of any medium or service, and the parts can be recombined by any extraction tool that understands the format. Archives can be made self extracting for handing to someone who has no archiver at all, with the extraction path and the post extraction behaviour configured in the dialog.
Integration and command line
The shell integration puts the operations you actually use into the context menu, with a configurable list so it stays short. Drag and drop extraction, extract here and extract to a named folder cover almost everything, and the cascading submenu can be turned off if you prefer a flat list.
The console version is included and is what scripted backups and build processes use. It takes the same switches it always has, which is why so many long lived batch scripts assume it is present. The full switch reference is in the help file installed with the program.
What you get
- Reads the RAR, ZIP and every other commonly encountered archive format
- Writes RAR and ZIP with configurable dictionary and compression level
- Multi part archive sets recognised and extracted from any part
- Recovery records that allow a damaged archive to be rebuilt
- Solid compression for large sets of small similar files
- Self extracting archive creation with configurable behaviour
- Configurable shell context menu integration
- Console version included for scripted use
- Licensing registered, so no reminder window appears
Inside the archive
- WinRAR installers for both architectures
- Console version and the switch reference help file
- Interface language packs
- Readme covering the context menu configuration
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 7 or newer |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any x86 or x64 processor |
| Memory | 512 MB, more for very large dictionary settings |
| Storage | 20 MB free for the program |
| Privileges | Administrator rights for the install and shell integration |
| Display | Any |
Installing it
- Unpack the archive and pick the installer matching your Windows architecture.
- Run it as administrator.
- On the setup screen, choose which formats the program should associate itself with and trim the context menu list if you want a shorter menu.
- Finish the install. No restart is needed.
- Open the program once. The reminder window will not appear, which confirms the licensing state.
Mirrors
| Route | Region | Note | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, primary | Europe | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Direct, secondary | North America | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Torrent magnet | Global | Unnecessary at this size | Online |
Release history
- Extraction handling corrected for archives with very long path names
- Faster repair pass on large archives with recovery records
- Context menu configuration now retained across upgrades
- Added support for a further compressed image format on the reading side
- Reduced memory use at the largest dictionary settings
- Multi part set detection improved for inconsistently named parts
- Interface translations refreshed
Questions about this release
Will the reminder window come back?
No. The licensing is registered in this build, so it never appears.
Can it fix a broken archive?
Often, yes. If the archive carries a recovery record the repair function can rebuild it. Without one it will still extract everything up to the damage.
Should I use solid compression?
For many small similar files, yes, the ratio is much better. For a set you will extract single files from, no, because extraction has to read everything before the file you want.
Is the console version included?
Yes, along with its switch reference. Scripted backups and build processes use that rather than the window.
Comments
Repaired a multi part set that ended badly on a bad connection. Recovery record did its job.
Trimmed the context menu down to three entries during setup. Small thing but it makes a difference.
Comments are read before they appear. If a build stops working, say so here and it gets rebuilt rather than quietly left up.
Installed in about four seconds and the nag is gone for good. Nothing else changed, which is exactly what I wanted.