---
title: "How do I open a .rar or other compressed/archive?"  
description: "How do I open a .rar or other compressed/archive?"  
author: "Richardson hayes"  
published: 2018-09-19  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/50001/how-do-i-open-a-rar-or-other-compressed-archive  
category: "troubleshooting"  
tags: ["mac troubleshooting"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# How do I open a .rar or other compressed/archive? 

How do I open a .rar or other compressed/[archive](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/198532/top-3-best-email-archiving-solutions)? \
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## Answers

### Answer by Hitesh Vohra

- The WinRAR archiver creates **RAR files**, which are compressed files. When dealing with big file sets, RAR files can be split into many volumes. These files, like Zip files, must be extracted.
- Save the **.rar file** to your computer's desktop. Your compressed file may be saved in the Downloads folder in your [**Documents**](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/49880/how-to-open-a-pub-document-on-mac-os-x) or user directory if it was downloaded from a website.
- WinZip can be launched from the start menu via a desktop shortcut. Click **File > Open** to open the zipped file. Simply double-click the file if your system has the compressed file extension associated with the WinZip software.
- Choose all of the files and folders contained within the compressed file. Holding the CTRL key and left-clicking on the files or folders you wish to open will multi-select them.
- In the WinZip toolbar, under the Unzip/Share tab, click 1-click Unzip and select Unzip to PC or Cloud.
- Select a destination folder for the extracted files and then click the 'Unzip' button. In the destination folder, look for the extracted files.

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**Read More[: How do I find the model of my Mac and specifics about it?](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/50005/how-do-i-find-the-model-of-my-mac-and-specifics-about-it)**


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