Open RAR Files Windows 11: Built-in Extract, 7z and Limits

For years, a .rar or .7z download meant installing extra software first. That is no longer necessary: you can open RAR files in Windows 11 directly in File Explorer, along with 7z and TAR archives, on any current version. There are still a few cases where the built-in support falls short, mainly password-protected archives. This guide shows how to open and extract archives, how to create your own, and when a third-party tool is still the right choice.

Which Windows 11 versions can open RAR files

Microsoft’s Zip and unzip files support page states that Windows 11 version 24H2 supports ZIP, RAR, 7z and TAR archive formats. Microsoft’s release information lists 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 as the versions in the main channel today, and its notes for version 26H2 add that File Explorer supports additional archive formats, including uu, cpio, xar and NuGet packages (nupkg).

Format	Open and extract in File Explorer	Notes
ZIP	Yes	Also created with Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder
RAR	Yes (24H2 and later)	Cannot create RAR; encrypted RAR not supported
7z	Yes (24H2 and later)	Encrypted 7z not supported
TAR, including .tar.gz	Yes (24H2 and later)	Common for developer downloads
uu, cpio, xar, nupkg	Yes (26H2)	Niche formats

To check your version, press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter. If it shows an older version, see check Windows 11 version and update through Settings > Windows Update.

Open and extract a RAR or 7z file

1. Find the archive in File Explorer. If you cannot see the .rar or .7z ending, turn on file extensions.
2. To look inside, double-click it. File Explorer opens it like a folder.
3. To extract everything, right-click the archive and select Extract All. Choose a destination (by default a new folder with the archive’s name next to it), then select Extract.
4. To extract one item, open the archive and drag the file or folder out to another location, as Microsoft’s support page describes.

Extraction from large RAR and 7z archives can take longer than with dedicated tools, especially with many small files. Let it finish before opening the files.

A tip for downloads: extract the archive to its own new folder rather than straight into Downloads or the Desktop. Some archives contain hundreds of loose files, and a dedicated folder keeps them together and makes it easy to delete everything afterwards.

Create a ZIP file

Microsoft’s documented method is:

1. Right-click the file or folder (or select several).
2. Select Show more options > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
3. A ZIP with the same name appears in the same place; rename it if you like.

To add more files to it later, drag them onto the ZIP. Current builds also show a Compress to entry in the right-click menu with ZIP and other open formats such as 7z and TAR; use whichever your recipient can open. ZIP is the safest choice for sharing with other people.

Microsoft points out that some files, such as JPEG photos, are already compressed, so zipping them barely reduces their size. Zip them to bundle many files into one, not to save space.

Password-protected archives

This is the main gap. Microsoft states that the built-in tools do not support operations on encrypted archive files, and suggests non-Microsoft applications such as 7-Zip or WinRAR to create or extract them.

If you need one of these tools:

• Download it only from the developer’s official website or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals that bundle extra software.
• Install only the one you need.
• Keep it updated, because archive tools have had security fixes over the years.

Microsoft also warns about the reverse case: if you add encrypted files to a zipped folder, they are unencrypted when they are unzipped, which can expose sensitive data.

Safety with downloaded archives

Archives are a favourite way to send malware because the harmful file is hidden one level down. A few rules:

• Open archives only from sources you trust and were expecting.
• Be suspicious of archives containing .exe, .scr, .js, .vbs or shortcut files when you expected documents or photos.
• Let Microsoft Defender scan what you extract; right-click the extracted folder and choose Scan with Microsoft Defender under Show more options if you want to be sure.
• Do not disable SmartScreen or Defender to get a file to open.

Archive will not open

• “Windows cannot open the folder” or an app picker appears: you are on a version before 24H2, the file is damaged, or it is encrypted. Check the version first.
• Archive split into parts (.part1.rar, .part2.rar or .7z.001): all parts must be in the same folder. If File Explorer cannot handle the set, use the original tool’s format support.
• Errors partway through: the download may be incomplete. Download it again; if the source publishes a checksum, compare it.
• Extracted files missing: check the destination folder you chose, and whether Defender quarantined something in Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Protection history.

For general File Explorer problems, see Windows 11 File Explorer crash, and for working faster with several folders, File Explorer tabs in Windows 11. If you are cleaning up a full drive after unpacking large archives, Windows 11 storage settings shows what is taking space.

To create archives rather than open them, see zip files in Windows 11.