I have downloaded a .rar file on my Mac that I need to archive to see the files inside. How am I able to properly convert this .rar file to a .zip? ― A question from Yahoo Answers
Both RAR and Zip are archive file formats that support data compression, which means they can do both archiving and compression. Sometimes we need to converter between the two formats. This article will show you how to convert RAR to Zip on Mac different ways.
Cisdem Unarchiver for Mac
Free DownloadA RAR file is an archival file created with WinRAR software. The software can be downloaded as a free trial for a certain number of days, but it needs to be purchased and registered for continued use. Opening RAR files must use WinRAR, which makes things awkward.
A Zip file is a compressed file that can be created with several software programs. It also can be created by using the built-in Archive Utility function on macOS. ZIP files can be opened with any software tool that can create ZIP files. It is not restricted to any software.
It seems the Zip archive file format is more accessible and portable than RAR. Almost every application or Mac operating system can work with .zip files, you can be safe to send a zip file to a friend, but you wouldn't want to send a RAR file to a friend unless you were sure they could use them. Therefore, sometimes it is necessary for us to convert RAR files to Zip.
Despite the name, Cisdem Unarchiver can perform both archiving and unarchiving. You can use it to efficiently change RAR to Zip or to a different archive type. It enables user to easily extract an entire archive or selected files in it. A batch mode is provided, which helps improve efficiency greatly. You can import multiple archives. The app will list all tasks in queue, and you can create or extract many archives in a sequential way.
You can use it to compress files and directories/folders to Zip, 7z and tar. Also, this RAR to Zip converter allows you to safeguard archives by password protecting them. Supporting large archives, it allows you to convert large RAR files (say, 100 MB, 200 MB or bigger) to Zip.
Step 1. Download and install Cisdem Unarchiver on Mac. Launch it.
Step 2. From the toolbar, click Add. Select the RAR archive you’d like to convert and click Open. To batch convert RAR to Zip, just select multiple files at the same time.
Step 3. Control-click the archive or selected files in it and choose Extract or Decompress. Alternatively, you can highlight files and click Extract in the toolbar. Choose a location on your Mac to save the decompressed files.
Step 4. In Cisdem Unarchiver, click iPack in the toolbar. In the iPack window, click Add and add the files you have just decompressed. Click the Compress button. In the Format field, select Compress these files into a zip file.
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You can also convert RAR to Zip on Mac online. There are web-based apps that can do the conversion. They require decent Internet connection and can’t work offline. As a result, they may not be as safe as their desktop counterparts (which can work perfectly offline). In addition, there can be file size limit for free users. In most cases, to convert RAR files to Zip with no limit, one needs to become a paid user.
Despite the drawbacks, online tools are easy and handy to use. They require no installation. We will take Convertio as an example and show you how to use such an online converter.
Step 1. Go to https://convertio.co/rar-zip/.
Step 2. Add a RAR file by dragging and dropping. Once the file is completely loaded, the online RAR to Zip converter will automatically start the conversion.
Step 3. It may take a while. When the process is finished, a Download button will appear. Click the button to save the Zip file to your Mac.
Above are two common ways to convert RAR to Zip on Mac. To do the conversion with ease and high efficiency while keeping your archives safe and unexposed, it’s recommended to use professional software like Cisdem Unarchiver. Which of the ways do you prefer?
Connie Yu has been a columnist in the field of data recovery since 2011. She studied a lot of data loss situations and tested repeatedly to find a feasible solution tailored for each case. And her solutions are always updated to fix problems from the newest systems, devices and apps.
ankmike
Simple process of installation. I can get compressed RAR files to ZIP format without any problems.