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You got an email from your employer or friend, and it contains a compressed attachment.
As you attempt to preview or open it, you find yourself hitting the wall.
Sending documents and files as email attachments is a popular trend.
Read this article until the end to discover various intuitive ways to open RAR files on Mac.
What Is a RAR File?
WinRAR Gmbh has the proprietary right to RAR compression technology and the file format.
This file compression system stores one or more files, folders, and documents in a compressed file container.
Its easier for malware and viruses to corrupt un-compressed files as compared to RAR files.
Are ZIP and RAR Files the Same?
Both the ZIP and RAR file formats are the same from the programming point of view.
However, they are not the same thing.
It means ZIP is a built-in feature of many digital devices that deal with files and documents.
Contrarily, RAR isnt as easily accessible as ZIP.
None of the computer operating systems nor mobile OSs come with built-in support for RAR file types.
You must use a third-party tool to extract the content of a RAR file.
Despite this, RAR is more widely used than ZIP because of its higher compression capabilities and popularity.
Why Cant You Open a RAR File on Your Mac?
The answer lies in the licensing system of the RAR file.
The RAR file is a proprietary compression algorithm.
Hence, it comes with licensing costs.
This framework enables you to download and install open-source software algorithms in the Terminal of the MacBook.
There arent any graphical user interfaces to use Homebrew commands for package installation and running.
Therefore, you must invest time in memorizing a few lines of code.
Get Homebrew on Your Mac
You must use the Mac Terminal CLI script to install Homebrew.
The tool, however, is unable to process RAR files.
So, what you’re free to do is convert the RAR file into a ZIP file.
Once youve got a ZIP file, you might use the Archive Utility to unzip it.
However, there arent any graphical user interfaces for this app for macOS devices yet.
Terminal will have by now extracted your RAR file into the RAR folder in Downloads.
you’re able to now move its content to another folder for safekeeping or further manipulation.
On some Macs, you may see theProcess Killederror on the Terminal app.
Thats because the Security and Privacy setting of the Mac is preventing the Unrar binary from running.
It doesnt show any ads even though the app is freeware.
If not, you could simply send the file to Trash and delete it permanently.
I was able to open a RAR file protected by a password by supplying the passcode.
Also, I tried to create a password-encrypted RAR file on Unzip, and it went really smoothly.
The tool enables you to open 50+ archive files, including RAR.
Also, the tool is free, with no ads, no in-app purchases, and no subscriptions.
It creates a Preferences dialog box after installation.
you’re free to change this value as well.
I got satisfactory results, and I believe youll also love the tool.
Whether you come from a solid tech background or not, it doesnt matter at all.
The app user interface is easy to understand, and its UI buttons do exactly as they say.
You might also like these bestcode/text editors for Macto download and use in your coding projects.
