How to Join RAR Files With 7-Zip

By C. Taylor

Similar to the popular ZIP file compression format, the RAR format allows you to compress files to conserve storage space. One major advantage of RAR is its ability to compress files into multi-part storage containers. This is helpful when you need to upload the files or store an archive across several CDs. The disadvantage of RAR is Windows 7's inability to access these container files. However, you can use the free, open-source 7-Zip utility to extract and rejoin the original files.

Step 1

Open 7-Zip file manager.

Step 2

Navigate to the folder containing the RAR files. Clicking the small arrow to the right of the address bar will open a drop-down menu where you can select a parent folder or another drive. Double-clicking a folder in the window allows you to enter that folder.

Step 3

Click the first file in the multipart archive. It will be labeled "...part01.rar" if the files are numbered as "part01.rar," "part02.rar" etc. The first file is labeled "...rar" in archives labeled as "...rar," "...r00," "...r01" etc.

Step 4

Click the top "Extract" button.

Step 5

Click the "..." button to choose a different extraction location or type a direct address in the "Extract to" field. By default, 7-Zip extracts the files into a sub-folder of the current location and names it after the file you selected.

Step 6

Click "OK" to extract and join the RAR files.

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