If you’ve ever sent multiple files to a single recipient, chances are you’ve created a ZIP file. Even if you’ve never created one yourself, you’ve almost certainly received or downloaded one.
I’ve downloaded thousands of ZIP files over the years, but in the past few months I’ve begun to notice more and more multiple-file downloads distributed not as ZIP files, but as RAR files (with filenames ending in .rar). Like ZIP archives, RAR files are mules, designed to compress multiple individual files into a single file for distribution or download.
Unlike the ubiquitous ZIP format, however, Windows doesn’t have the native ability to open or extract RARs, and chances are, if you ever download one, you’ll have no way to open it without downloading new software.
WinRAR is the most popular utility for dealing with RAR files, but it’s $29. If you’re not up for spending thirty bucks to open a single file, check out IZArc. The software handles RAR files quite nicely, as well as ZIP, BIN, TZ, CAB, ISO and ARC files, just to name a few.
For users who are no stranger to archive file types, IZArc also offers useful features like drag-and-drop support, Windows Explorer integration, AES encryption, multi-volume split/merge, disk spanning, and more. I like IZArc so much, I’ve made it my default Windows program for dealing with all archive files.
Matt