What you need to know
- Windows 11 is getting native .RAR support in an upcoming version update.
- .RAR from WinRAR is a file archiving system, generally regarded as the best and most efficient.
- WinRAR has reacted to the inclusion humorously on social media, but given Microsoft's very light-touch support of the .ZIP format, I suspect WinRAR will still remain popular.
WinRAR is a legendary piece of trialware software that revolutionized file sharing online, owing to its ability to archive, encrypt, and compress entire folders of content into single files. The .rar format has become a broadly used alternative to .zip, owing to its more effective encryption and compression algorithms. While some open-source alternatives like .7z have challenged its dominance in recent years, it remains one of the best Windows apps of all time, used by hundreds of millions of people.
WinRAR is a proprietary format supported by the app of the same name. With over half a billion users, it is by far the world's most popular archiving tool, and can be used to extract numerous file archiving formats while also adding encryption and password protection to new ones.
WinRAR has long been the subject of memery for its very soft approach to its "trial" period. You can download WinRAR for free on a trial basis for 40 days, but the trial period is notoriously "easy" to circumvent. In 20 years I haven't personally purchased WinRAR, but I feel compelled to do so after seeing this endearing social post from the firm.
Us right now. #Windows11 pic.twitter.com/t8WnXaWyZaMay 30, 2023
Going viral on Twitter, the official WinRAR channel posted this classic "this is fine" meme in response to the news that Windows 11 is getting native support for the .RAR format, announced during Microsoft Build 2023.
Microsoft has been on a roll lately with updates to Windows 11. The Windows 11 Moment 3 update includes a ton of new features for the OS. Native support for .RAR is slated to arrive sometime in the Autumn, however, hitting the Windows Insider Program relatively soon. The extent to which Microsoft plans to support .RAR archiving in Windows 11 remains unknown. The full WinRAR app supports a ton of configuration features, including encryption types and passworded archives, while also supporting many other file archiving standards. Windows, right now, only supports the .ZIP standard by default right now, and you only gain more advanced encryption options using Windows 11 enterprise editions. Even then, you can't set up passworded .ZIP files for sharing without using a third-party tool. I suspect support for the .RAR format on Windows 11 will be similarly minimal, leaving WinRAR with plenty of reasons to stick around.
In any case, if you want to check out WinRAR for yourself, you can grab it from the official WinRAR website. The "trial" lasts for "40 days," but you can buy a permanent license for $36 dollars.
