How to unrar file on a Mac? This is the question that came up my mind when I got my first MacBook Pro. Actually, extracting RAR files on a Mac can be as easy as pie or as complicated as a 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle, but it depends on the tool that you use to uncompress and extract the contents of the file. While some tools will make you run circles but never give you what you want, there are ways to properly extract RAR files on a Mac. Let's talk about two different but effective ways to do this.
- How To Open .rar Files On Mac Free
- How To Open Rar Files On Macbook Pro
- Rar File Extractor Mac
- Download Unrarx
- How To Open Rar Files On Mac With Password
- Winrar For Mac
Part 1. How to Extract RAR File on Mac via Terminal
Mar 17, 2018 Many of the files you tend to open these days come in either a ZIP (.zip) file or a RAR (.rar) file. But unlike ZIP files, Apple’s macOS (or OSX) which is the operating system on your Mac does not have the tools needed to open RAR files on its own. You will need a third-party app to open an RAR file and extract its contents. How to Open RAR Files on Mac OS X. This wikiHow teaches you how to extract a compressed RAR file on a Mac using the free Unarchiver app. If you can't install Unarchiver for some reason, you can use the free StuffIt Expander application. To unzip the contents, follow these steps: Click the Unzip button. From the drop down menu, choose to unzip your files to this Mac, iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Google Drive. A 'Finder style' window will open. You can browse to the folder where you want the files saved. Choose to unzip the Entire Zip. “Which is the best software to open RAR files on Mac OS? I am new to Mac and I want to open RAR files.” A question from Ask Different. Compressed archive files such as RAR and ZIP files are widely used to reduce the size of files when sending them over the Internet. How to open RAR files. Save the.rar file to the desktop. If your compressed file was downloaded from a website, it may be saved in the Downloads folder in your Documents or user directory. Launch WinZip from your start menu or Desktop shortcut. Open the compressed file by clicking File Open. Jun 26, 2019 Can you open.rar files on a Mac? ZIP format files open natively with macOS, simply double click the.zip file and it extracts automatically. RAR format files are more complicated, but it is possible to open and extract.rar files on a Mac. You usually need to download extra software to do so.
Although this method requires some preparation, when completed, it will allow you to easily unpackage RAR files directly from Terminal. If you're a developer and use Terminal a lot, then this is a good way to get compressed files unzipped directly from the command line. The instructions below show a detailed stepwise flow of what to do in order to add this capability to Terminal.
Step 1. Download the RAR for Mac OS X utility from RARLab and note down the file path of the download.
Step 2. Open Terminal (Applications >>Utilities >>Terminal; or Cmd+Spacebar to launch Spotlight and search for Terminal). Now enter the following command in Terminal: cd ~/Downloads/rarosx-5.6/rar
Note: Make sure you change the filename based on the version you downloaded.
Step 3. For Mac OS X versions until Yosemite, run the following command to install unRAR: sudo install -c -o $USER unrar /usr/local/bin
Step 4. Enter the root password if prompted at the previous command. To extract a file, use the following command, replacing the entire part with the file path with the appropriate one: unrar x /path/to/file.part01.rar
This is a great way to do it, of course, but extracting files on Mac OS X Yosemite and later macOS versions requires an additional step. Before executing Step 3 above, you will need to create the '/usr/local/bin' folder location since there's no default one. In addition, you need separate commands to open archives that are password-protected, which they usually are when the information inside is confidential.
Cons:
- Complex and not user friendly.
- Only for RAR files archived by WinRAR.
- Need to download extra tool from unknown sources.
- Failed on latest macOS build.
Part 2 : How to Open RAR File on Mac via CleanGeeker Unarchiver App
Believe it or not, even though the RAR extraction capability of CleanGeeker is superior to most other utilities, it is actually an add-on feature. Essentially a Mac memory and resource optimization tool, this software nevertheless has an excellent archive extraction feature.
TunesBro CleanGeeker is built for functionality, but the UI is quite appealing as well. The complex settings are mostly in the background so it's easy for novice users to learn how to use the software. This section shows you how to easily and quickly extract RAR on a Mac using CleanGeeker.
Highlights of TunesBro CleanGeeker
- Extract and open various archive files, including RAR, ZIP, GZ, TAR, TAR.GZ, etc.
- Boost Mac performance by cleaning up junk and tmp files.
- One-click find and remove duplicate files on local hard drive.
- Get more free memory by closing apps running in background.
Step 1Install and Open TunesBro CleanGeeker on Mac
Install CleanGeeker app on your Mac after downloading it from the official website of TunesBro. When you launch the program you'll see a home page with scan and clean functions. Below it, on the left-panel, you'll see tabs for other functions. Click on 'Unarchiver'.
Step 2Add RAR File to CleanGeeker
Select 'Open RAR' in the next window. Within the module, select the file to be extracted, specify the destination folder and click on 'Extract'. That's it. Your extracted files will now be available in the specified destination folder. You can see how easy it is to use, and you'll be done in just a couple of minutes.
The real power in the software is what it can do to keep your Mac running optimally at all times. Periodic junk cleaning and deep cleaning your system will make sure that unwanted files and data aren't clogging up valuable memory space. Remove duplicates is also pretty fast ; digitally shred your private files and make them unrecoverable; even speed up your startup process. For extracting RAR files, it is one of the simplest and most powerful applications you'll find, and it supports zip, bzip, gzip and several other archive file formats.
Conclusion:
The choice is a simple one: you can either do it from the command line after installing unRAR and execute several processes before you can start extracting RAR files, or you can do it right away after installing CleanGeeker. Unless you're comfortable with command line work, the first method is not at all recommended. If you get a command wrong or a typo in a filename, it will prevent you from extracting anything after all that work. Besides, not many users are comfortable installing an app and then using it without a graphical interface.
Oct 10, 2018 14:41:09 / Posted by Candie Kates to Mac Solution
Related Articles & Tips
RAR files are compressed files like ZIP files. Macs have native tools to work with ZIP but not with RAR, so how can you open RAR files on a Mac? You need a third-party tool. There are a few on the market but as usual, some are better than others. I have tried around a dozen apps that work with RAR files and the ones on this page are what I think are the best.
Also see our article How to Speed Up Your Mac
What is a RAR file anyway?
RAR files (.rar) are Roshal Archive files named after their inventor, Eugene Roshal. They are the primary compressed file type used on the internet. Alongside ZIP files, they enable us to shrink files to make them easier and faster to download. As many of us live entirely on our phones with limited data plans, that’s a good thing.
How file compression works
RAR file compression is one of many techniques for shrinking files. There are two types of compression, lossless and lossy. If you play around with digital audio, you will already know those terms. Lossless compression shrinks file sizes by removing redundant data. Lossy compression sorts the data and removes the bits it thinks it doesn’t need to still provide a good experience.
RAR files use lossless compression to shrink file sizes. As data storage uses a lot of redundancy such as storing the same information in multiple places, listing data literally instead of efficiently and indexing every single piece of data, tidying all that data up can save a serious amount of space.
To repeat a much-used example, if a file includes the following data bits: AAAABBBBCCCCDDDD, this is how it would be stored without compression. If you added that data to a RAR archive it would be compressed to A4B4C4D4. This refers to the fact there are 4 As, 4Bs, 4Cs and 4Ds. As you can see from that super-simplified example, a lot of space can be saved. Multiply that by millions of bits in an average file and you can see how RAR compresses files.
To RAR a file, the application will compress it into an archive and append it with the .rar extension. To be able to use the file, you will need to decompress it back to its original state with a tool that can work with .rar files.
How To Open .rar Files On Mac Free
Open RAR files on a Mac
The original question was how can you open RAR files on a Mac? If you have downloaded a file or been sent one from a trusted source, how can you decompress it so you can access what’s inside?
WinZip
How To Open Rar Files On Macbook Pro
WinZip began life as a Windows ZIP compression tool, hence the name. There is a Mac version too which works with RAR files. It is lightweight, installs quickly and has a very small footprint.
- Install WinZip on your Mac from here.
- Right click your RAR file and select Services then Unzip.
- Set a location for the extracted files.
Rar File Extractor Mac
The process is fast and simple. Using WinZip also has the benefit of working with ZIP files. While MacOS has that built-in, it’s nice to have options.
The Unarchiver
The Unarchiver is a Mac-specific tool available through the App Store. It works with most file compression formats and it a useful app to have around if you work with compressed files a lot. It is free and works like a charm.
- Download The Unarchiver from the Apple App Store. You can also download it directly from the developer from here.
- Drag and drop the RAR file onto The Unarchiver icon or right click it and select The Unarchiver.
- Set a download location and let the tool do its work.
The Unarchiver works well and gets the job done. I did have to uninstall the version from the App Store and reinstall the version from the developer for some reason though. Once done, The Unarchiver worked like a charm.
iZip
iZip does exactly what it says on the tin. It can decompress RAR files ready for use. It is free, easy to use and has a small footprint. It doesn’t do anything WinZip or The Unarchiver cannot do but it is a good alternative if you want one.
Download Unrarx
- Download and install iZip from here.
- Launch the application and drag the RAR file into it. Or right click and use the context menu to open with iZip.
- Set a location for the decompressed file.
How To Open Rar Files On Mac With Password
Like the other tools in this list, iZip just works. It makes it easy to open RAR files on a Mac and just works.
Winrar For Mac
Do you know of other ways to open RAR files on a Mac? Any other apps or programs that can do any better? Tell us about them below if you do!