We’re used to installing third-party apps in order to handle certain types of files since our operating system lacks support for them. While Windows already has support for certain files, like ZIP files, the latest Insider build of Windows 11 is adding support for other ones, including RAR.
Build 23493 of Windows 11 is now rolling out for Insiders, and it’s notable because, among other additions, it’s the very first version of Windows to add native support for a range of archive formats, including RAR and 7-Zip. It’s using the libarchive open-source project, and from this build onward, your PC will be able to open, and handle, those files in a native manner. Some of the most notable additions are:
- .tar
- .tar.gz
- .tar.bz2
- .tar.zst
- .tar.xz
- .tgz
- .tbz2
- .tzst
- .txz
- .rar
- .7z
Whenever this feature rolls out to everyone, there will be less of a need to install software like 7-Zip or WinRAR, though 7-Zip supports many more formats that Windows can’t yet recognize. If you’re just downloading a RAR or 7Z file from the internet and you want to decompress its contents, Windows will be able to handle it.
This is now rolling out to Insiders in the Dev branch, while a more general rollout should follow within the next few months.
Source: Microsoft
Post a Comment