Microsoft has announced that Windows will get native RAR support. The news would greatly please many PC users who have had to use third-party apps to extract the archived file for years. As per the company, the native RAR support will roll out to Windows 11 and we believe will continue with the next-generation Windows versions down the years.
In addition, the company is also incorporating compatibility with other archive formats.
“We have added native support for additional archive formats, including tar, 7-zip, rar, gz, and many others using the lib archive open-source project,” wrote Windows chief Panos Panay in a blog post. “You now can get the improved performance of archive functionality during compression on Windows.”
Similarly, the addition of tar, 7-zip, rar, gz, and other formats should be great news for Windows 11 users. What it means is you don’t need to download any third-party apps such as WinRAR to open these files. At the same time, you don’t have to bother buying the app to avoid pop-ups or ads.
Why use RAR?
RAR is an archive format. It is used to bundle large files into one which is more feasible while sending them electronically or transferring. RAR also compresses the file size which eases off the device’s storage. 7-zip, rar, and gz are other archive formats.
Also read: Google to end Chrome support on some older Windows versions
When will RAR support for Windows 11 arrive?
Microsoft says that RAR and other archive format support will roll out in a new build later this week. In a build session, the company confirmed that the Windows 11 update will roll out to all users in September to support RAR and other formats.
“We also plan to provide support for creating those files in those formats in 2024,” said Sharla Soennichsen, a product manager at Microsoft.
