UnRAR Switch to Overwrite Read-Only Files

When extracting RAR archives from the command line, existing files on the destination path can halt the process or prompt for user confirmation, especially if those files have read-only attributes. This article explains which command-line switch allows unrar to overwrite existing and read-only files automatically, details how it works, and demonstrates how to apply it during extraction.

The Overwrite Switch: -o+

The primary switch used in unrar to force overwriting existing files—including read-only files—without prompting is -o+.

By default, unrar asks for user permission before replacing an existing file on the disk. Adding -o+ instructs the utility to proceed and overwrite any pre-existing files matching the names of the files inside the archive.

Basic Syntax

To extract an archive with full directory paths and overwrite all existing files, use:

unrar x -o+ archive.rar

To extract all files directly into the current directory without maintaining internal directory structures, use the e command instead:

unrar e -o+ archive.rar

Handling Interactive Prompts with -y

In certain environments or older versions of the utility, read-only attributes may trigger a separate permission confirmation dialog. To ensure completely non-interactive extraction in automated scripts, combine the overwrite command with the -y switch:

unrar x -o+ -y archive.rar

The -y switch forces the utility to assume "Yes" to all interactive queries, preventing scripts from hanging on file attribute warnings.

unrar provides several overwrite-handling options depending on the desired behavior:

  • -o+: Overwrite all existing files unconditionally.
  • -o-: Skip all existing files and do not overwrite anything.
  • -or: Automatically rename extracted files if a duplicate exists on the destination path.