Buzz
A speedy manual for both Windows and Mac users on accessing compressed RAR multimedia files effortlessly.
RAR (Roshal Archive) stands as the native archive format for WinRAR software, identifiable by the '.rar' extension. RAR files may contain various nested files (e.g., videos), albeit with compressed data. Hence, conventional media players like Windows Media Player fall short in directly handling RAR files. To play such compressed files, you must initially employ WinRAR for extraction (i.e., decompression) or opt for Dziobas RAR Player, a media player tailored to automatically decompress RAR files for playback.
Essential Insights
- Installation of WinRAR or Dziobas RAR Player is imperative.
- WinRAR surpasses Dziobas in its ability to handle RAR files.
- Once WinRAR is installed, a simple double-click opens RAR files.
Procedure
WinRAR
Visit the AfterDawn website to download and install WinRAR on your PC.
Simply double-click the RAR file stored on your computer. This action will automatically open the file in WinRAR.
Click on the 'Extract To' button located in the top taskbar.
Utilize the file browser at the top of the General tab to select the destination path. This path signifies the folder location where you wish to save the extracted file.
Click the OK button located at the bottom. The compressed files will then be extracted to your designated folder.
Navigate to the folder where the extracted files are saved. As these files are no longer compressed, you should be able to play them using your standard media player such as Windows Media Player.
Dziobas RAR Player
Get the Dziobas player from the AfterDawn website.
Execute the downloaded installer to install the player on your computer.
To launch the Dziobas player, navigate to 'All Programs' from your start menu and choose the software from the program list.
Click on 'File' located at the top-right corner and opt for 'Open RAR (rewind).'
Utilize the 'Open' window that appears to locate the RAR file.
Highlight the name of the RAR file and click the 'Open' button. Dziobas will promptly decompress the RAR file and commence playback.
Pointers
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Set up a new directory to store the extracted files. This ensures that existing files on your system won't be overwritten by the newly extracted ones.
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If you prefer extracting files into the same folder as the RAR file, simply right-click on the RAR file and choose 'Extract Here' from the context menu. Note that the 'Extract Here' option requires preinstalled WinRAR software.
Cautions
- Dziobas may not support all RAR file formats. WinRAR offers broader support, so if you encounter playback issues with Dziobas, consider extracting files with WinRAR instead.
- RAR files are not compatible with WinZip or the native File Explorer in most operating systems.
