Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; Dr
- Microsoft has quietly announced that it will support opening RAR files in Windows 11.
- The file format usually requires WinRAR or other file compression software.
ZIP is a popular file compression format, but Windows has been letting you open ZIP files for years. However, the platform does not support the long-term WinRAR file compression format at all.
Fortunately, Microsoft has now announced (h/t The Verge) that Windows 11 will support RAR files. Moreover, the operating system will also support other file compression formats such as 7-Zip, tar and gz.
This is all thanks to Microsoft using the open source libarchive project, which unlocks various file compression formats.
How do you open RAR files on your Windows PC?
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This is quite a remarkable step for the platform, as currently you need to download WinRAR or an alternative application like 7-Zip if you want to open RAR files. WinRAR in particular has long driven users to purchase a license, but with an unlimited free trial, you can only get a good deal.
In any case, you don’t have to download a separate file compression program if you just want to open a variety of archive formats in Windows 11. And it’s about time, since WinRAR in particular was first launched in 1995.