Install UnRAR with Windows Package Manager (winget)

Windows Package Manager (winget) allows you to install archive extraction tools directly from the command line, including utilities that provide UnRAR functionality. While RARLAB does not maintain an isolated, standalone "unrar-only" package on the default winget repository, you can readily install the official WinRAR package—which bundles the official UnRAR.exe command-line utility—or install open-source alternatives like 7-Zip that can extract RAR archives.

Installing WinRAR via winget

To get the official RARLAB UnRAR.exe executable, install the WinRAR package using PowerShell or Command Prompt:

winget install --id RARLab.WinRAR

Once installed, the command-line utility UnRAR.exe is located in the WinRAR installation directory, typically:

C:\Program Files\WinRAR\UnRAR.exe

To use unrar from any command prompt window without specifying the full path, add C:\Program Files\WinRAR to your Windows system PATH environment variable.

Alternative: Extracting RAR Files with 7-Zip

If you only need to extract .rar files from the command line and do not strictly require the proprietary RARLAB binary, 7-Zip is a fully supported alternative available directly via winget:

winget install --id 7zip.7zip

After installation, you can extract RAR archives using the 7z command:

7z x archive.rar

Verifying the Installation

To verify that the installation succeeded, open a new terminal window and run:

unrar

If the PATH variable is configured correctly, this command will output the UnRAR version and a list of supported extraction commands and switches.