WinRAR
Version 7.23 · win.rar GmbH · Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 · ranked #45 in the library
The archiver everything else is compared against, handling every format you are likely to meet, splitting a large set across volumes and repairing a damaged archive that other tools give up on.
Read the installation section below before you start. The order of the steps matters on this release.
About this release
Overview
WinRAR is a small application that solves an unglamorous problem completely. It creates and opens its own format and the common zip format, and it extracts from essentially every other archive format still in circulation including the older compressed formats and disc image containers. That coverage is why it ends up on almost every machine: whatever arrives, it opens it.
The features that matter show up when files get large or connections get unreliable. Multi volume archives split a set across parts of whatever size you choose, so a large collection can cross a medium or a transfer limit that would otherwise stop it. Recovery records add redundancy inside the archive so a corrupted part can be rebuilt from the rest, which has rescued more downloads than any other single feature in this category.
Day to day it lives in the shell. The context menu handles extract here, extract to a named folder, add to archive and test, without opening the main window at all. The compression profiles remember your preferred format, dictionary size, split size and recovery record percentage, so producing a consistent set of archives is one menu entry rather than a dialog you fill in each time.
What it does
Feature breakdown
Broad format support
Creates its own format and zip, extracts from essentially everything else still in use including legacy compressed formats and disc image containers.
Multi volume archives
Split a set across parts of any size, with the extraction handling the sequence automatically as long as every part is present.
Recovery records and repair
Add redundancy inside the archive so a damaged part can be reconstructed, and repair archives that have lost data in transfer.
Shell integration
Extract, compress and test straight from the context menu without opening the application window.
Solid compression with a large dictionary
Substantially better ratios on collections of similar files, with the dictionary size configurable against available memory.
Compression profiles
Save format, ratio, dictionary, split size and recovery percentage as a named profile and apply it in one click.
Changed in this build
Version 7.23
- Improved compression ratio on large collections of small text and source files.
- Faster extraction of archives created with very large dictionaries on machines with limited memory.
- Added handling for a container format variant that previously extracted with the wrong file names.
- Repair routine improved on archives missing a volume header rather than data.
- Several interface translations refreshed and the file list rendering made noticeably faster on huge archives.
Installation
Follow these in order
- Extract the archive using whatever archiver is already on the machine.
- Disable real time protection, the licensing component is flagged by most engines.
- Run the installer and choose the file associations you want on the setup screen.
- Complete the install without launching the application.
- Copy the included licensing file into the installation folder as described in the readme.
- Start the application, confirm the reminder window no longer appears, then restore protection.
Release notes
From whoever packed it
- Do not tick every file association unless you want it handling formats another tool already manages better.
- Automatic update checking should stay off. An update replaces the licensing file.
- This is the standard build. If you want the extended interface options, the professional package is listed separately in the catalogue.
System requirements
Minimum and recommended
| Operating system | Windows 7 through Windows 11, 32-bit or 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any x86 or x64 processor |
| Memory | 512 MB, more if you use very large dictionary sizes |
| Graphics | No specific requirement |
| Storage | 20 MB for the application |
Questions about this release
Answered before you ask
- Does the reminder window still appear?
- No, the licensing file removes it permanently.
- Can it create archives other people can open?
- Yes. Use zip for maximum compatibility, or its own format when you need volumes and recovery records.
- Will it repair any damaged archive?
- Only if a recovery record was added when the archive was created, or if the damage is confined to headers.
Download
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