To install WinRAR on Windows 10 or 11, download the installer from the official WinRAR website at rarlab.com, run the setup file, and follow the installation wizard. It is worth noting that Windows 11 version 23H2 and later can natively open .rar, .7z, and .tar files without any extra software. However, WinRAR is still useful for creating compressed archives, password-protecting files, and repairing damaged archives.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: April 9, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Windows 11 23H2+ has built-in .rar support — you can extract .rar, .7z, .tar, and .gz files natively through File Explorer without installing anything
- Windows 10 only supports .zip natively — you still need WinRAR or another tool to open .rar and .7z files on Windows 10
- WinRAR still has advantages over native extraction — creating .rar archives, password-protected archives, multi-volume splitting, and repairing damaged archives are features Windows does not offer
- WinRAR is trialware — it offers a 40-day free trial and continues working after it expires, with a reminder popup each time you open it
- During installation, enable Legacy Context Menus to get WinRAR options in the standard right-click menu on Windows 11 instead of the “Show more options” submenu
Quick Steps
- Go to rarlab.com and click Download WinRAR
- On the downloads page, scroll down and click the Download WinRAR button
- Run the downloaded winrar-x64 installer and click Install
- On the file associations screen, click Toggle All to associate all archive types
- Enable Legacy Context Menus under Shell Integration and click OK
- Click Done to complete the installation
Do You Still Need WinRAR on Windows 11?
Before downloading anything, it is worth asking whether you actually need WinRAR in 2026. Starting with Windows 11 version 23H2 (released September 2023), Microsoft added native support for .rar, .7z, .tar, and .gz archive formats through a library called libarchive. This means you can double-click any of these file types in File Explorer and extract them without installing third-party software.
If all you need to do is extract compressed files, the built-in support in Windows 11 handles that just fine. However, WinRAR still offers several features that Windows does not provide natively:
- Creating .rar and .zip archives (Windows 11 can only create .zip files)
- Password-protecting archives with AES-256 encryption
- Splitting large files into multi-volume archives
- Repairing damaged or corrupted archives
- Better compression ratios than standard .zip, especially for large file collections
If you are on Windows 10, you definitely still need WinRAR or a similar tool — Windows 10 only supports .zip files natively and cannot open .rar or .7z archives without third-party software. You can also install software like WinRAR through a package manager like UniGetUI if you prefer a centralized way to manage your applications.
How to Download WinRAR
Open your browser and navigate to the official WinRAR download page. You can get there by searching for “WinRAR download” or going directly to the URL below:
https://www.win-rar.comOn the main page, you will see two buttons: Buy WinRAR and Download WinRAR. Click on Download WinRAR. On the next page, scroll down until you find the download button and click it. The download should start automatically. If it does not, click the “Click Here” link on the page to manually trigger the download.
How to Install WinRAR on Windows
Once the download completes, open the winrar-x64 installer file. Accept any User Account Control prompts if they appear. The WinRAR setup wizard will open with the default installation path already filled in — you can leave this as is.
Click Install and WinRAR will install in a few seconds. On the next screen, you will see the file associations and shell integration options. These are important — here is what to configure:
File Associations: Click Toggle All to associate WinRAR with every supported archive format (.rar, .zip, .7z, .tar, .gz, and others). This means double-clicking any of these file types will open them in WinRAR instead of the default Windows handler.
Shell Integration: Under the shell integration section, select Legacy Context Menus. This is especially important on Windows 11 — it adds WinRAR options directly to the standard right-click menu instead of hiding them behind the “Show more options” submenu. Click OK to confirm, then click Done to finish the installation.
How to Extract Files with WinRAR
With WinRAR installed, extracting compressed files is straightforward. Right-click on any archive file (such as a .zip or .rar file) and you will see a new WinRAR option in the context menu. This gives you several extraction choices:
- Extract files… — Opens a dialog where you can choose the destination folder
- Extract Here — Extracts all files into the current folder
- Extract to [folder name] — Creates a new folder with the archive name and extracts everything into it (this is usually the best option to keep things organized)
I usually go with Extract to [folder name] because it automatically creates a dedicated folder for the extracted contents. This prevents loose files from scattering all over your Downloads folder.
Tip: If you want to manage WinRAR and all your other applications from one place, check out UniGetUI — it is a free package manager for Windows that lets you install, update, and uninstall software without hunting down individual installers. I also have a guide on using Winhance to optimize and customize your entire Windows experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WinRAR free to use?
WinRAR is technically trialware with a 40-day evaluation period. After the trial expires, WinRAR continues to work normally but displays a reminder popup each time you open it asking you to purchase a license. The software does not lose any functionality after the trial period ends.
Does Windows 11 need WinRAR to open .rar files?
No. Starting with Windows 11 version 23H2, Microsoft added native support for .rar, .7z, .tar, and .gz files through File Explorer. You can extract these files by simply double-clicking them without installing any additional software. However, Windows 11 cannot create .rar archives or password-protect files — you still need WinRAR for those tasks.
Can I use WinRAR on Windows 10?
Yes. WinRAR works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. In fact, WinRAR is more essential on Windows 10 because it only supports .zip files natively. Without WinRAR or a similar tool, you cannot open .rar, .7z, or .tar files on Windows 10.
What does the Legacy Context Menus option do during WinRAR installation?
The Legacy Context Menus option adds WinRAR extraction options directly to the standard right-click menu in Windows 11. Without this option enabled, you would need to click “Show more options” first to access the WinRAR commands. On Windows 10, this setting has no effect since Windows 10 already uses the classic context menu by default.
What is the best free alternative to WinRAR?
7-Zip is the most popular free and open-source alternative to WinRAR. It supports all the same archive formats and can create password-protected .7z and .zip archives. If you are on Windows 11 and only need to extract files, the built-in File Explorer support may be all you need without installing anything at all.
