Free filesharing services like Rapidshare and MegaUpload are pretty popular these days, since more and more torrent services like Mininova have gone legit or been shut down. I’ve found that many of the shared files I find online are in the RAR format. People new to the file sharing sites might not know what a RAR file is or how to open it. In case you didn’t know, RAR files are similar to ZIP files and are basically a collection of files and folders that are squeezed into a single file. Putting files into a RAR or ZIP format is like packing up a suit case before going on a vacation. It keeps a collection of files in a single place for easy transport.
If you’ve downloaded a RAR file and you don’t know how to open or unpack it, there are many programs that we’ve suggested for doing that. One good program for unpacking RAR files is called RarZilla Free Unrar. After you download and install it, here’s what it looks like when it first runs.
To unpack (or unRar) a RAR file, you can hit the Unrarbutton at the bottom and select the RAR file. However, this program also makes it easier to unrar files by simply double clicking on them. Here’s what you’ll see after selecting a RAR file for unpacking.
I typically leave the settings as they are. When you hit the OK button, you’ll see the file being unpacked, as shown below.
Once it’s done, just look for a folder with the same name as the RAR file that you selected.
RarZilla also allows you to unpack password protected and multi-part RAR files. Naturally, you’ll have to know the password for a password protected RAR, and multi-part RARs must have all of the parts available and be named correctly in order to get them unpacked.
• Download RarZilla Free Unrar
Techie Buzz Verdict:
RarZilla is a great free option for unpacking RAR files. It’s easy to use, yet has plenty of options if you need them. There’s even a portable version available if you need to take it on the road. I will classify RarZilla Free Unrar as highly recommended.
Techie Buzz Rating: 4/5 (Excellent)
