Can Unrar Extract Files Newer Than a Specific Date?

Yes, the unrar command-line utility can extract only files that have been modified since a specific date. By using the built-in -tn (time newer) switch, you can filter the contents of an archive and extract only the items meeting your exact timestamp criteria. This guide explains how to format date strings, apply the switch to standard extraction commands, and use relative time limits.

The -tn Switch Syntax

The -tn switch tells unrar to process only files newer than a specified date and time. The general syntax for the command is:

unrar x -tn<date/time> archive.rar

Note that there should not be a space between -tn and the timestamp value.

Formatting the Date

The date string follows the YYYYMMDDHHMMSS format. You do not need to provide the entire sequence down to the second; you can provide only the year, month, and day.

• Full date and time: To extract files modified after October 15, 2023, at 14:30:00:

  unrar x -tn20231015143000 archive.rar

• Date only: To extract files modified after January 1, 2024:

  unrar x -tn20240101 archive.rar

Using Relative Time

In addition to absolute dates, unrar accepts relative time increments using days (d), hours (h), minutes (m), or seconds (s).

• To extract files modified within the last 7 days:

  unrar x -tn7d archive.rar

• To extract files modified within the last 12 hours:

  unrar x -tn12h archive.rar

Complementary Switch: -to

If you ever need the reverse functionality—extracting only files modified before a specific date—replace -tn with -to (time older).

• Extract files modified before June 1, 2022:

  unrar x -to20220601 archive.rar