Open Rar files without WinRAR

[sambacat]

first of all, if this is the same as the cnet forums, please forgive the cross posting.

i have vista home premium.

i have received an e-mail with photos in a RAR format. it seems i cannot open it without WinRAR or a similar program. i don't find a free program, only free trials.

a) can you help me with the steps for extracting the photos? or
b) can you direct me to a totally free (and easy) program?

the pictures can also be mailed in .msg. but same problems there.

the sender does not have further choices.

thank you, sambacat

[tlhintoq]

I'm going to bet the sender really does have an option to make .ZIP files.

They probably have WinRAR installed which made their default archive type to be .RAR files.

When the make the archive they are probably just right-clicking a folder and choosing "Archive and email..." - This makes a .RAR file.

Tell them to...

• Right click on folder
• Choose 'Add to archive...'
• In the dialog that pops up choose ' Archive format [ ]RAR [o]ZIP'
• Click 'OK'
• Attach the new .zip to a fresh email

If you want to coach them through it... While they are in that dialog they can make .ZIP their default format so as to not have to go through all this in the future.

• Click the 'Profiles' button
• Save as new profile
• Choose 'Default' from the pop-up list of profile names
• Check the 'make default' checkbox
• Save

[acoder]

You posted this question in the .NET articles section. Moved to Misc. Questions.

Moderator.

[Nepomuk]

Hi!
No, this is not the same as the cnet forums, so no problem. ^^
Of course there are free options! For example, you can use 7-zip which is open source (and therefore free) or, if you prefer not to install anything, you can use openrarfile.com.

Greetings,
Nepomuk

[Curtis Rutland]

I like 7-zip myself. It's free, and the .7z archives that it can make are pretty efficient.

Edit:
Also, use this link (http://www.mywebzip.com/) to open the rar files online. Nepo, the link you provided seems to just be a page, with an iframe opening the link I provided. Not sure why, so might as well go to the original. After all, the owners of the domain you posted could be trying to piggyback off of someone else's invention.

[Nepomuk]

Nepo, the link you provided seems to just be a page, with an iframe opening the link I provided.

You're right, I didn't realise (but then I didn't look at that site for long). Better go to the original. ^^

Greetings,
Nepomuk

[sambacat]

thank you all.

my senders are working under many constraints, the major one of which is they are using government sponsored very old computers and systems. they can't afford the public ones, though to us the cost might seem incredibly cheap.

some of my friends havd domains other than .cu. but still have this problem. RAR might be happening either as it comes into them, or as it leaves. they can receive other formats, and forward them, so it's hard to know which. if indeed they can unrar at their end, a) they don't know it, and b) they wouldn't have time to look for it as they have little access to computers away from their jobs, and finally, c) there might be blocks against installing any programs.

thanks to whomever as to how to create a situation my friends might try.
now if you can translate it very well into spanish, i would send it along.

i did try 7-zip again. obviously i am doing something incorrectly (when something isn't working, i almost always assume it's my fault). all i got were more than 10 pages of other programs i might want to install.... as if.
and also i am puzzled. many people say that 7-Zip is free, but however i searched it, i got circuitous menus, always leading to how i could use their free trial.

elsewhere someone suggested tugzip. there, door #1 led back to 7-zip. but door number #2 opened to jzip, and that is free forever. and was very eaasy to use, as well.

thank you, again. you have been very straightforward, and nice (at many forums people can be quite rude), and helpful. i'll be ba-ack.

sambacat

[Curtis Rutland]

http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

These aren't trial versions, these are the free open source versions.

I'm glad you like the forum. We don't allow rudeness to members here, so you don't ever have to worry about that =D

[sambacat]

thank you for invitation to return...

i actually have a new question, in somewhat same vein, this time about jZip.

now that i have installed jZip, three previously zips, my new RARs, internet and jZip have already appeared on my desktop for short cuts, with a jZip icon. i neither need nor want these there. i know there is a way to take them off the desktop, without deleting them entirely, but can't remember/find it. help...

i forgot to mention, regarding my friends with the RARs, not that it's really important, they are sending from cuba.

sambacat

[Nepomuk]

i did try 7-zip again. obviously i am doing something incorrectly (when something isn't working, i almost always assume it's my fault). all i got were more than 10 pages of other programs i might want to install.... as if.
and also i am puzzled. many people say that 7-Zip is free, but however i searched it, i got circuitous menus, always leading to how i could use their free trial.

7-Zip is certainly free and can be downloaded from http://www.7-zip.org/ or http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...group_id=14481

elsewhere someone suggested tugzip. there, door #1 led back to 7-zip. but door number #2 opened to jzip, and that is free forever. and was very eaasy to use, as well.

I've never heard of tugzip so far, but clicking here a download should start automatically.

thank you, again. you have been very straightforward, and nice (at many forums people can be quite rude), and helpful. i'll be ba-ack.

You're welcome. We do our best. :-)

Greetings,
Nepomuk

[sambacat]

nepomuk, my thanks, now i see the 7-zip page in it's free free form. will keep it mind, but have already installed jzip, which i got by keying tugzip.com

posted another question, in my last post, about getting rid of icons on desk top. i know i should know how. if you can handle that info, that'd be nice. no-one else has answered that yet. but it's very soon, so not surprizing.

[Nepomuk]

If you just want to delete the icons but not the programs, mark the icons on the desktop and either press the Del key or rightclick on them and choose "Delete". You will be warned that deleting these symbols will not remove the programs (which is exactly what you want) and that's it.

Greetings,
Nepomuk

[Curtis Rutland]

Absolutely right, Nepo.

Deleting shortcuts in Windows (for that matter, any OS that I know of) does not uninstall the program. You should still be able to find the programs in your start menu, and failing that, you should be able to find the executable file in the Program Files directory.

If you ever do wish to fully uninstall these programs, you will need to do so in the Control Panel, using "Add/Remove Programs."

[sambacat]

nepo and insert --

thank you both, it worked.

for some reason, when i was trying it, when i right clicked and chose delete, i was not given that reminder, it just went straight to the recycle bin.

so i'm set. sambacat