If files with the RAR extension appear on your system as regular folders, this most likely means that there is no software installed on your system that can work with files of this format. These are the same archives as files with the zip or 7z extension, containing one or more compressed files. To be able to use them, you must install the appropriate archiving program.
Instructions
Step 1
Choose one of the software products that can handle RAR files. The company that developed and develops this format releases the WinRAR archiver. Naturally, it is programs from an active developer of the format that make the most of all the newly emerging improvements. But there are other archivers that are able to work with RAR files - for example, the completely free open source 7-zip program.
Step 2
Download the selected archiver program. It is best to use the manufacturer's own website for this, and not random links. Run the installer and follow the instructions it prompts. After the end of the installation process, the options necessary for working with RAR archives will be added in Windows Explorer.
Step 3
Start Explorer by double-clicking the My Computer icon or by pressing the WIN + E key combination. Find the RAR file you are interested in on your computer and right-click it - the drop-down context menu will contain options for working with the archive. For example, you can unpack the archive into the same folder, or the program will create a separate directory for it. If you double-click a RAR file, Explorer will launch the archiver and transfer the file to it. In this case, you can simply view the contents of the archive without extracting it. These programs support drag-and-drop operations - you can select only the files you need from the list of files contained in the archive and drag them to the Explorer window, to the desktop, or to the windows of other programs (if they also support the drag-and-drop operation).
Step 4
Open the archiver program through the main menu or using the shortcut on the desktop if you want to do without Windows Explorer. Almost each of these programs has an interface similar to Explorer, with a folder tree located in it, through which you can get to any RAR archive you need.
