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What are RAR files?
A RAR file is a special computer file format that can store single or multiple documents and folders in a highly compressed form. The file can later be decompressed to extract the original documents and folders. The term RAR is an abbreviation for Roshal ARchive and is derived from the name of its creator Eugene Roshal. The RAR compression software is available for a wide range of platforms like Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, DOS, OS/2, FreeBSD and others. The Windows version is called WinRar.
File compression programs gained popularity during the early days of the PC when hard drive storage capacities were low and their cost comparatively high. Ways and means were sought to cram as much data as possible into the little hard drive space that was available to most computer users. The RAR file format was one such solution. It enabled users to compress all kinds of computer documents and folders and store them under a single RAR file. This compressed file could now be used as an archive for backup purposes. It could also be easily transferred to another computer through a floppy disk or over the Internet. Since the RAR format decreased the size of the file considerably, one needed lesser amount of disks or used lesser bandwidth on the Internet to transfer the compressed files. Once the files were transferred to the destination, they could then be decompressed to extract the original content intact.
The RAR format can also split a single huge file into smaller files in a compressed form. The smaller files can be stored or transferred quite easily. They can later be decompressed and combined together to form the original large file.
Apart from these useful features the RAR format also has others that make it a versatile compression and archiving tool. For instance, it packs within its file format, chunks of data known as recovery records which help in restoring the original content even if the RAR file gets damaged during storage or transfer. It also uses AES or Advanced Encryption Standard which is a strong 128 bit encryption algorithm to protect the file. RAR further supports Unicode in order to store non-English filenames within its archive. This particular feature has made it popular in non-English speaking countries like Russia and others.
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