Download rar file on windows 10. Which archiver is better. Free usage features

Programs for working with archives (files that contain one or more other files inside) are the first thing that is installed on a computer after installing the operating system. They are included in the set of the most necessary software, since without them it is impossible to install any driver downloaded from the Internet on a PC, and many applications too. Each Windows archiver has its own strengths and weaknesses, and today we will try to find out which of these programs are the best.

Why archives are needed

Archival formats today store vast amounts of information. Why? Yes, because it is much more convenient than keeping it in its original form. The benefits are:

  • Archives take up less disk space than unarchived files.
  • Archive formats support encryption and password protection, while regular files do not.
  • One archive can contain a large number of files of any type and folders of any nesting depth (of course, there is a nesting limit, but it is determined by the capabilities of the file system). That is, it can serve as a container for other objects.
  • Archives are useful for transferring files via e-mail and file-sharing services, as well as for creating installation distributions of applications. Most of them are supported by different operating systems, not just Windows.
  • Large archives can be divided into parts (volumes) and stored separately, but files cannot.
  • Some archives can unpack themselves without additional programs (more precisely, they are unpacked by the operating system).
  • Separate archive formats can be used as disk images (yes, ISO format files are also archives).

These are the capabilities of archives in general, however their different types support different functions. The most common - ZIP, RAR and 7Z, are also the most functional, but besides them there are more than 100 types of archive formats and each has its own purpose. In a word, we cannot do without archives and programs for working with them.

5 best archivers for Windows

WinRAR

WinRAR is perhaps the only archiver for Windows that everyone knows about. This is one of the oldest applications in its class, but despite its age and many competitors, it is still considered the best of the best.

Strengths of WinRAR:

  • High speed and compression ratio. Ready archives are 8-15% less voluminous than similar products.
  • Making the most of multi-core processors.
  • Automatic recognition of the content type and selection of the optimal compression technology.
  • Unpacking most existing archive file formats (more than 50). Compress to RAR, ZIP, ARJ, CAB, TAR LZH, ACE, ISO, GZip, BZIP2, UUE, Z and 7Z formats.
  • Support for creating multi-volume and self-extracting archives.
  • Support for 128-bit encryption and electronic digital signatures.
  • The function of repairing damaged ("broken") archives.
  • Built-in content scanning for viruses (it is not known how effective it is, but it is).
  • A function to quickly send a compressed file (folder) by email if a mail client is installed on the computer.
  • Russian language support.
  • Creation in the Explorer context menu of quick access points to the main functions: pack, unpack, send the archive by email.

WinRAR is released not only in the version for Windows, but also for Android. It has a convenient, intuitive interface, built like a Windows Explorer, so it does not take time to master.

The main and, perhaps, the only drawback of the program is that it is paid. WinRAR is free to use for 40 days, however, even after this period, the utility retains full functionality, and a pop-up window reminds you of the need to reward the author. The cost of a license to use WinRAR on all devices is $29.

7-Zip

The utility with the short and memorable name 7-Zip is more focused on working with files in the 7Z format, but it does a great job with many others. Even more - it supports almost all existing archive data formats, including disk images (allows you to view and extract files from them),

The speed and quality of content compression in 7-Zip is not lower than that of Win Rar, it also has support for the Russian language, but most importantly, you can download the program and use it for free. And no annoying windows.

Advantages of 7-Zip:

  • Excellent speed and high compression ratio.
  • Unpacking most of the existing archives (more than 50 formats), packing in 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ.
  • Creation of self-extracting 7Z archives.
  • Strong encryption and password protection for 7Z and ZIP files.
  • Intuitive interface built like Windows Explorer.
  • The function of sending archives by email, if a mail client is installed on the machine.
  • Integration with Windows Explorer - adding commands for packing, unpacking, including in an existing archive and mailing 7Z and ZIP files.

The disadvantage of the 7-Zip archiver is that many people say that it is configured by default to work with the 7Z format, which is less reliable than ZIP and RAR, and in case of damage it is almost impossible to recover.

There is an opinion that 7-Zip and the 7Z format have a sacred connection with Windows 7, but do not work correctly on Windows 10, 8 and XP. Fortunately, this is not the case: the seven in the names is a mere coincidence, and the product itself is also available in versions for Linux and other desktop systems.

winzip

WinZIP is another well-known archiver with a wide range of features that clearly outperform the competition. Sharpened to work with ZIP files, but supports many others.

Key features of WinZIP:

It is easy to guess that you have to pay for the use of these sweets. The free version of WinZIP functions with restrictions and only 21 days, after which its work is suspended. The cost of the license is $39.95.

is a simple, omnivorous and free archiver with support for many operating systems, including Windows. One of the few available in both installation and portable versions. Distributed under the GNU GPL (free software and open source).

A key feature of PeaZIP is support for decompressing more than 180 archive file formats, which is perhaps a record.

Other strengths of the program:

  • Packaging in BZIP2, GZIP, ARC, ZIP, PAQ, XZ, TAR, UPX, WIM, QUAD and some other formats.
  • Creation of multi-volume archives.
  • The proprietary archive file format is PEA, with a high compression ratio and resistance to damage.
  • Built-in password and key storage.
  • Built-in file shredder (shredder).
  • Support for batch execution scripts.
  • The installation version is integrated into Windows Explorer.

PeaZIP is a worthy product, especially considering that it is free, but with its main task - fast and high-quality packaging and unpacking, it copes worse than the rest. Archives are more voluminous and take longer to create than in analogue programs. In addition, not every release of the utility supports the Russian language.

Before installing PeaZIP, check the bitness of your version of Windows, since you need to download different distributions for 32 and 64-bit systems.

Developers position their product as the simplest utility for archiving files. And also quite nimble. The check showed that they have reason to say this, however, the "hamster" is trained to create archives in only two formats - ZIP and 7Z, although it unpacks many.

Advantages of Hamster Free ZIP Archiver:

Hamster Free ZIP Archiver successfully copes with the assigned functions - this is a plus. And support for only two compression formats is the biggest disadvantage. Another drawback is the constant opening of the developer's site in the browser.

The review did not include all existing archiver programs for Windows, most of which offer to download themselves for free and use without restrictions, but their presence would not change the order in our rating. The first places are consistently and deservedly occupied by WinRAR - the best paid archiver, and 7-Zip - the best free. The rest can supplement them, but, alas, they fall short of a full-fledged replacement.

WinRAR the most popular archiver, powerful file compression program. The name of the WinRAR archiver is derived from the words Win (Windows) and RAR (Roshal ARchive). The author of the program is Evgeny Roshal from Chelyabinsk. With this program, you can create compressed archives in RAR and ZIP format.

Features of the WinRAR archiver

  • Work with all popular archive formats RAR, ZIP, CAB, ARJ, 7-Zip and ISO images.
  • You can create self-extracting SFX archives.
  • Multi-volume archives for sending parts by email or writing to removable media.
  • Password-protected archives with 128-bit security and archive signature.
  • Viewing the contents of archives, adding and deleting files in an existing archive.
  • Ability to recover a damaged file.

New in WinRAR 5.x

  • New data compression format - RAR5.
  • Simultaneous work with several processor cores.
  • Increased speed and maximum compression ratio.
  • Recovery in case of archive damage.
  • Improved usability of third-party archive formats and encrypted files.

WinRAR is a shareware program with a trial period of 40 days. After forty days, the program can be used to the full extent of its capabilities, but when you open the archive, WinRAR offers to purchase a license.

winrar free download

Download the WinRAR archiver for free for Windows 7, Windows 8 and 10 Russian version. Our site keeps track of all software updates so that you have the latest version of WinRAR.

Advantages

  • The distribution kit weighs only 3 MB.
  • The program is Russified.
  • Installation takes two minutes.
  • Shareware utility.
  • Master assistant for inexperienced users.
  • 90 free design options on the developer's website.

Flaws

  • When downloading a distribution, you need to know the bitness of the operating system.
  • Display a reminder to purchase a license at each launch after 40 days from the date of installation.
  • There is no way to switch the language in the utility interface.
  • To update the application, you need to re-download the installation file from the RARLAB website.

What is free disk space?

  • Windows 10, depending on the bitness and edition, takes 13 - 25 GB and is continuously updated.
  • New updates do not always correctly remove previous ones.
  • The system monitors users and creates gigabytes of logs.
  • The built-in Microsoft Edge browser leaves temporary files.
  • The OfficeFileCache directory keeps your local PC in sync with OneDrive for Business.
  • The old folder in case of an upgrade contains a backup copy of the previous OS.

Add family photos, favorite movies, games to the list items, and the solid state drive will be completely filled. To prevent this from happening, do not be too lazy to download WinRAR for Windows 10 64 or 32 bit for free from the official website of RARLAB products and forget about the lack of free space and PC brakes forever.

The latest version of the operating system from Microsoft has many positive differences from its predecessors: high startup speed, combination of the classic Start menu with tiles, multiple desktops, reset to factory settings and reinstallation of the system without a boot disk, synchronization of settings across multiple devices through a user account , the Microsoft Store app store. With the obvious advantages of Tens, the manufacturer makes high demands on the software developed for Windows 10. For example, Microsoft Office 365 for home use requires a dual-core processor of at least 1.6 GHz, 4 GB of RAM for 64 bit systems and 2 GB for 32 bit OS versions, 4 GB of free disk space, DirectX 9 and higher. Shortly after buying a computer, the system disk fills up completely, and users start to have problems. The paging file does not have enough memory, documents take a long time to open, applications freeze.

Downloading the archiver

Do not try to download WinRAR for Windows 10 x64, 32 bit from torrent sites with a key, do not look for a cracked or activated archiver. Downloading a distribution kit from an unverified source will result in a PC being infected with a virus. The Microsoft Store does not offer users a distribution of the popular archiver: only a stripped-down version of UnRar Windows is available for download.

The most reliable way is to download the WinRAR archiver in Russian for Windows 10 from the official website www.rarlab.com or from our fan site. Links from the fan site lead to the latest version of the distribution posted on the developer's resource. The installation process contains a step by step guide with screenshots.

How to set a password for an archive

1. Select a group of files with the mouse.

2. Right-click and select "Add to archive" in the context menu.

3. Specify a name for the compressed file, click the "Set password" button.

4. In the window that opens, enter a password in the upper input field and duplicate it below. Click on the "Ok" button.

5. Finish creating the archive, click on the "Ok" button in the parent window.

6. Without knowing the password, users will not be able to extract the files. At the same time, the recipient has the opportunity to click on the archive and get acquainted with the names, number and type of documents. Do not worry about privacy: when you click on the file name again, the archiver will ask you to enter a password.

WinRAR is a commercial application for working with popular types of compressed files that works on the following platforms:

  • Windows, starting from MS-DOS and ending with Windows 10 32 and 64 bit;
  • popular distributions of Linux and FreeBSD;
  • macOS;
  • mobile Android and Windows Phone.

The free version has no restrictions except for regularly appearing offers to purchase a license and will work for 40 days. Here you can download WinRAR in Russian for any platform with a key that will remove all restrictions.
However, please note that the use of an activation code is a violation of intellectual property rights, for which you may be held liable. Although who is responsible for piracy in our time. Thousands of movies with games leaked into the network, and no one pays for it.

What is an archiver

Since 1993, when the first console version of RAR and the UNRAR unpacker were released, the RARLab development team has not stopped developing and improving the product. The application provides comprehensive support for working with archives: creating, extracting, opening, encrypting, splitting, etc. We will consider all these functions later.

The archiver is designed primarily to save disk space. A compressed file, depending on the mass of variables, can take up several times less space than the original one, or by several percent. And even they, you see, are sometimes very valuable, for example, when sending documents over the network.

Functions

WinRAR allows you to compress any single file, their list or directories while maintaining their structure into one archive. The following functions are available:

  • settings profiles - you can use ready-made presets or add your own;
  • archive format (can only pack in ZIP, RAR and RAR5);
  • compression method - the degree of compression (without compression, you can simply add several objects to one archive for the convenience of sending over the Internet or uploading to a file exchange / cloud;

  • dictionary size - the larger, the faster the compression and decompression, but more RAM is also required;
  • update mode - choose what to do with documents that have the same name if they have already been placed in the current archive (relevant when backing up);
  • other archiving options.

In the future, you can work with compressed data as usual, but with large delays (it takes time to unpack the file you are accessing).

Advanced settings

The developers have taken care of the ease of use of the program. So, for example, if you pack something for archival storage, the source files after compression can be deleted from the computer. If you need to get a self-extracting archive (to unpack it, WinRAR or another archiver is not required, all modules are integrated into the compressed file itself).

Also, archives are split into parts for shipment or storage on CDs and their integrity is checked after compression is completed. In order to increase security, the developers have added the function of checking the contents of the archive before extracting it.

With the development of the network, the need for file sharing is constantly increasing, and the archiver is able to facilitate this task in three steps:

  • it allows you to reduce the amount of data sent by compressing them;
  • large files are divided into several small fragments, which can later be put together on any other computer where the cracked WinRar is installed;
  • encrypt their content, thus increasing security and privacy.

Recovery tools

WinRAR contains a broken archive recovery wizard that works with zip and rar. It can decompress archives with defects resulting from transmission, compression, or storage on damaged media.

Encryption

Let's look at how to put a password on an archive through the WinRAR program, you can find out how to do this using a faster and more powerful competitor.

  1. We open the application and select the data for packaging with the left key.
  2. Click "Add" or select the same command from the context menu.

If necessary, we set other options, in particular the degree of compression.

  1. Click "Set password".

  1. We enter the cipher and remember it, otherwise it will not be easy to access the data, and in the case of a complex password (it is recommended to use it), it is almost impossible.

If you want to hide filenames, check the box to encrypt document names so no one can see what's inside.

  1. We click "OK" and wait.

We managed to password-protect the archive. When you try to open a document or unzip it, you will be asked to enter a key.
Advanced options allow you to effectively manage your backups and backups.

Unpacker

The Russian version of the program only supports compression into three types of files (zip, rar and rar5), but almost any common archive (including an outdated format like uha, tar, arj), an application installer or an image (iso, img) can unpack.

The search function inside archives (except for password-protected ones) will help you find a text document based on a fragment of text in it, or a file by its exact name or mask.

The converter will turn any supported type into one of the three above, advanced command line options - a truly powerful tool for working with compressed data for advanced users.

Convenience

The application interface is very outdated, however, support for official and third-party skins (themes) will brighten up this shortcoming. Adding the necessary commands to the context menu of the Explorer, which speeds up the call of the necessary dialog box and the packing of data on the PC.

The function of WinRAR associations with certain types of files will help you open them by double-clicking without first launching the program and going to the desired directory.

The wizard will help any beginner to update, create or decompress compressed data by making simple clicks in dialog boxes.

New compression algorithm

A new format has been added to the latest version of the program - RAR5. Although it has the RAR extension, it is radically different from the usual format and is incompatible with it (the previous one is now called RAR4).

  1. The new archive type allows you to create files up to 8.6*10 9 GB in size.
  2. Removed support for comments.
  3. Improved test and media compression algorithms.
  4. New naming scheme for multi-volume archives.
  5. Increased dictionary size limit to 1024 MB.
  6. The use of the progressive AES-256 algorithm, which has long been exploited by competitors.
  7. To check the integrity, the BLAKE2 hashing technology is used, which replaced CRC32.
  8. The new version supports longer file paths (up to 2048 characters).

Comparison with competitors

Developers constantly compare their product with WinZip and its old Zip format, but the battle between these archivers has long been over, because more powerful and efficient ones have appeared on the market, for example, 7-Zip. Their comparison is carried out here (Windows 7 and 10 x64 showed a similar result) and here. The tests revealed a clear favorite, despite the fact that it is distributed free of charge.

Download WinRar with key for Windows 10

Until 2009, no one could crack the digital signature of WinRAR, which is why it was believed that its algorithm was perfect, until a team of hackers attacked the RarLab servers and created a license generator.

The official site allows you to download a trial version of WinRAR for 40 days with an English interface.

Here you can download a repackaged edition with an activation code and a Russian-language interface for any Windows, starting with XP SP3, Linux and mobile platforms.

For treatment, place rarreg.key in the folder with the program.

The shareware popular WinRAR archiver is one of the best programs for creating and managing archives on PCs, tablets and smartphones. The main advantages of the archiver: small size, support for a large number of formats for unpacking, outstanding speed and compression ratio. Here you can download WinRAR for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP SP 3 (32-bit and 64-bit) for free. In addition to Microsoft Windows, this cross-platform utility supports Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Android operating systems (on Google Play and the rar-android.apk file on the official website). You can also find outdated releases for MS-DOS, Win Mobile and ReactOS. Direct link: website/ru/file/winrar

Brief description of WinRAR

The main occupation of WinRAR is the packing of files, groups of files and folders with attachments in RAR 4 and 5 archives, as well as ZIP, quickly and with strong compression. It is also important to unpack RAR, ARJ, 7Z, CAB, ISO, LZH, TAR, 7-ZIP, Z, ZIP files of ordinary and divided into parts and formats of other popular archivers. It is possible to collapse self-extracting (SFX) and multi-volume archives of the required size, AES-256 encrypted archives with a password, exclusion and inclusion of data in the archive, restoration of broken archives, check for viruses and other malicious software. SFX archives can be equipped with a GUI and script-type commands for programming the unpacking process, for example, when installing programs or games. Additional information is used to reconstruct the archive. Such data will allow you to restore both a regular broken one and a multi-volume one in the absence of whole volumes. Additional information is also added to speed up unpacking. You will need to download WinRAR for free to work with an almost unlimited number and size of files, a significant number of formats. The program loads quickly and is easy to install, while it can be integrated into the Windows Explorer context menu for quick access to basic functions and working with archives without starting the program.

Why it doesn't hurt to download an archiver for Windows

Sometimes you need to download a program, game, e-book. Often they are folded into an archive, which cannot be opened by regular means. This is especially true when a new Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 operating system has just been installed on the computer and is not yet fully equipped with software. In this case, the first thing to do after installing the Windows operating system is to download WinRAR for Windows 7, 8.1, 10. WinRAR will not take up much space on your computer, it will quickly deploy any of the popular formats, even if the archive is damaged. If necessary, WinRAR will quickly and efficiently archive a file, several files or folders with files into an archive file RAR 4 or 5, or ZIP, create a self-extracting SFX, multi-volume or password-protected archive. Advanced users also use other extended functionality of the WinRAR archiver, which will be discussed below.

A Brief History of the WinRAR Archiver and the RAR Format

WinRAR was created in the days of Windows 3.x, running on a non-graphical operating system, MS-DOS 3.1 or higher. The name is made up of the words Windows and Roshal ARchive. One letter is taken from the name of the creator - Chelyabinsk citizen Eugene Roshal. In addition to WinRAR, Eugene is the author of the popular FAR Manager file manager.

The RAR and UNRAR utilities for MS-DOS appeared in late 1993. In 2009, for Windows 64-bit with WinRAR 3.90, a more productive 64-bit version of the program was released. In 2011, Windows 95, 98, ME and NT are not supported from version 4.00. In 2013, since version 5.00, the new RAR5 format is supported.

Those who use outdated versions that do not support the new RAR5 format will do well to download the latest version of WinRAR for free Russian for Windows. The latest RAR5 has little in common with RAR4, although it does use the RAR extension. If you download the Russian version of WinRAR 5 for free, the archiver will be able to open and pack RAR4 and RAR5, but the outdated ones do not understand RAR5. The fifth RAR allows you to comment on archives, but commenting on individual files is not available, there is no support for digital signatures, experimental text and multimedia compression technologies. The volume of the dictionary varies from 1 MB to 1 GB (for Win x32 - from 1 to 256 MB), 32 MB is preinstalled. Multivolumes have filenames name.partNN.rar instead of name.rNN. Instead of the obsolete AES-128, AES-256 is used. Integrity control uses the 256-bit BLAKE2sp hash, NTFS strict and symbolic links. The length of file names and paths has increased to 2048 characters for both RAR and ZIP. Added support for split 7Z, as well as ZIP and ZIPX with B ZIP 2, PP Md and L Z M A compression.

WinRAR interface

The WinRAR interface is made in a classic style and will not cause problems for most users who decide to download the WinRAR utility for Windows for free and install it on their computer, laptop, netbook or mobile phone. If you still have questions, you can refer to the built-in help. Some users prefer to use the built-in wizard step by step. The appearance of the interface can be changed by downloading and installing any theme (skin) you like. Support for about fifty language localizations, including Russian, allows you to work with archives in the program interface in your native language. The ability to download WinRAR for free Russian on the page of this site material eliminates the need to translate menus, windows and settings. After downloading and installing the archiver on your computer, you can immediately start working, without wasting time on studying the possibilities and settings with the translation of the interface.

Here you can download the WinRAR archiver for free with the ability to embed it into the operating system. Integration into Windows Explorer is convenient for those who do not want to spend time on routine operations. When you click in the Explorer window, a menu appears, using which you can collapse the archive or extract the contents to the current or specified folder. In the context menu are available: auto and manual unpacking and packaging, as well as packaging with sending by e-mail. Hot key combinations allow you to speed up the execution of routine operations. Unfortunately, there are no scripts or macros for batch processing.

Functionality

WinRAR is characterized by high performance and powerful functionality for folding and managing archives. In particular, the archiver works with a variety of relevant data compression formats of almost unlimited size, modern encryption, protection and recovery technologies. According to reviews and comments on specialized sites and forums, in social networks VK, Ok, Fb, G+ and others, the following functionality of the WinRAR archiver is especially in demand:

Encoding into self-extracting, continuous archives and multivolumes,
- decompression of RAR, ARJ, 7Z, 7-ZIP, ACE, BZIP2, TAR, CAB, ISO and others,
- work in the graphical interface or from the command line,
- advanced settings for advanced users,
- automatically recognizes the format and selects the best compression method,
- generation of reports,
- advanced search function,
- integrity test,
- choice of compression level and archiving speed,
- inclusion of the necessary data to recreate the damaged file,
- folding SFX archives that unpack themselves,
- creation of multivolumes for sending by e-mail,
- 256-bit tamper protection,
- creating and editing comments to archives (RAR in UTF-8 encoding, ZIP in Windows encoding),
- does not overload the system, does not interfere with the work of other programs,
- 32-bit and 64-bit versions for maximum speed and OS compatibility,
- master assistant for creating and managing archives,
- Drag-and-drop file drag and drop,
- work with skins of free developers,
- the program is multilingual, there is a Russian version,
- there are no restrictions on use after the trial 40 days.

Free usage features

WinRAR is shareware distributed under a Shareware license. This means that 40 days from the moment when the user decided to download WinRAR in Russian for free, downloaded and installed it on a PC, the program works in the regular full-function mode for review, and after this period it will start displaying a message about the need to purchase a paid license from RARLab . At the end of the trial period, the functionality is not curtailed, and offers to purchase a license are not intrusive, so those who are unable to purchase WinRAR continue to use the archiver as it is. Others either buy a license or can download a free archiver in Russian from another developer, for example, 7Zip, PeaZip, Bandizip, HaoZip. Mobile RAR for Android is freely available under a Freeware license.

OS and WinRAR bit correlation

We recommend that you download the latest version of WinRAR for free for Windows XP SP 3, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (32-bit and 64-bit) without delay. It makes sense to do this, because the new version of WinRAR works faster than the previous one, the compression ratio has been increased, and work with archives has been improved. If it is not clear which WinRAR to download: x64 or x32 bit version, download the program of the same bit depth as the Windows OS installed on the computer. So the program will show its maximum performance. The archiver is distributed as two WinRAR x32 and x64 files for installation on a computer with 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. To find out the bit depth of Windows, you need to go to the "Control Panel" through the "Start" button, find the line "System Type" in the "System" section. Based on the information received, you should download WinRAR 64-bit or 32-bit for free, according to the type of operating system Microsoft Windows XP SP 3, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (64-bit or 32-bit).

During the installation process, WinRAR does not offer to install additional software, change the browser start page, or make other promotional offers. At the end of the installation, the installer will offer to associate supported files with WinRAR and embed its functionality into the context menu of Windows Explorer.