How to Open RAR Files on Mac OS X

Use Unarchiver

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Download the Unarchiver app. This is an application that allows you to open RAR files on your Mac. To download the application, do the following:

Open the App Store on your Mac.

Click the search bar in the top right corner of the App Store window.

Type unarchiverin the search bar, then press ⏎ Return.

Click Get below the "Unarchiver" heading.

Click Install App below the "Unarchiver" heading when asked.

Enter your Apple ID password when asked.

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Open Launchpad by clicking the spaceship-shaped app usually found in the Dock at the bottom of your Mac screen.

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Click The Unarchiver to start the application.

When asked, you may have to choose whether to save all extracted files in the same folder or whether you want to be asked again each time.

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Click the Archive Formats tab . It's at the top of the window.

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Check the "RAR Archive" box to ensure the Unarchiver program can decompress RAR files in the future.

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Select RAR file. Go to the folder containing the RAR file you want to open, then click on the file.

If you want to extract a RAR file divided into many small parts, you should start with the file ending in ".rar" or ".part001.rar". All parts must be saved in the same folder.

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Click File at the top of your Mac screen to open a list of options.

In some cases, you can also double-click the RAR file to open it in Unarchiver. This won't work if you have multiple applications that open RAR files on your Mac.

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Choose Open With … from the File menu . The screen will display another menu.

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Click The Unarchiver in the menu that appears. This will open the RAR file in Unarchiver and start extracting the RAR file into a RAR folder.

If the RAR file is secured, you will have to enter the password before the file is extracted.

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Open the extracted file. By default, the Unarchiver program will extract the RAR file into the same folder where the original RAR file was stored. For example, if the RAR file is saved in the Desktop folder, you will see the extracted files here.

Use StuffIt Expander

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Open the StuffIt Expander website by visiting http://my.smithmicro.com/stuffit-expander-mac.html in your computer's web browser. This is a free application that supports many types of compressed files, including RAR.

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Download StuffIt Expander in the following way:

Enter the email address in the "Email*" field.

Click FREE Download .

Click Download .

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Install Stuffit Expander. Double-click the downloaded installation file, click Agree when asked and wait for the installation process to take place.

You will be asked to verify the software before installation.

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Open StuffIt Expander by double-clicking the app's icon.

When asked, you'll click Open .

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Click Move to Applications Folder . This completes the installation and opening of StuffIt Expander; Now you can use this application to open RAR files.

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Click the StuffIt Expander menu in the top left corner of the screen to open a list of options.

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Click Preferences… in the StuffIt Expander drop-down list .

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Click the Advanced tab . It's at the top of the Preferences window.

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Scroll down and click the RAR selection in the middle of the window.

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Click Assign to StuffIt Expander on the right side of the window. This allows StuffIt Expander to open RAR files on your Mac.

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Close the window by clicking the red button in the upper left corner of the window.

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Double click on the RAR file to launch StuffIt Expander and begin the RAR file extraction process.

If StuffIt Expander doesn't start, right-click or Ctrl-click the file, then select Open With … and click StuffIt Expander .

If you want to extract a RAR file divided into many small parts, you should start with the file ending in ".rar" or ".part001.rar". All parts must be saved in the same folder.

If the RAR file is secured, you will have to enter the password before the file is extracted.

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Open the extracted file. By default, StuffIt Expander will extract the RAR file into the same folder where the original RAR file was stored. For example, if the RAR file is saved in the Desktop folder, you will see the extracted files here.

Kareem Winters

Update 25 June 2024