[mehrens2112]

What are .rar files? Can someone please explain these to me? Similiar to .zip files? If there is a thread already on this, someone point me in the right direction. I've used Flac, Ape, SHN and others, but never rar.

[vikulenka]

Originally Posted by mehrens2112

What are .rar files? Can someone please explain these to me? Similiar to .zip files? If there is a thread already on this, someone point me in the right direction. I've used Flac, Ape, SHN and others, but never rar.

It's another arhiving technology.

vs. Zip :-

"Comparing to ZIP file format, RAR provides a number of advanced features: more convenient multipart (multivolume) archives, tight compression including special solid, multimedia and text modes, strong AES-128 encryption, recovery records helping to repair an archive even in case of physical data damage, Unicode support to process non-English file names and a lot more."

That aside, I think WinZip opens Rar files, but the default application is WinRar.

Easy as pie

[mehrens2112]

Originally Posted by vikulenka

It's another arhiving technology.

vs. Zip :-

"Comparing to ZIP file format, RAR provides a number of advanced features: more convenient multipart (multivolume) archives, tight compression including special solid, multimedia and text modes, strong AES-128 encryption, recovery records helping to repair an archive even in case of physical data damage, Unicode support to process non-English file names and a lot more."

That aside, I think WinZip opens Rar files, but the default application is WinRar.

Easy as pie

Great, another !@#$%^&*()_ application to put on my already overloaded PC. Can't they all just get along

Thanks for the definition.

[Kaeli]

A .rar file is very similar to a .zip file, zip has been around for 20 years and the .rar is newer compression technology. I have seen it used for large databases as it can restore db's in volumes with sequences, especially with binary format. Like if you had 100 gigs of music and wanted to transfer to another computer, the RAR would see the entire directory and then split into volumes with sequences for restore to another device.

You could probably find out quite a bit by googling .rar OR try
How To: Open a Rar file

[vikulenka]

Originally Posted by mehrens2112

Great, another !@#$%^&*()_ application to put on my already overloaded PC. Can't they all just get along

Thanks for the definition.

Not if you already have winzip. I did mention it above.

[Starcat]

I installed WinRAR a couple of months ago, and all worked fine while it was in it`s trial period, but now it tells me I need to buy a license to continue using it.
The last 2 albums I have downloaded in .rar files, I have been able to unzip and add to my music library, but if I then try playing them later, the file is no longer playable as the original file could not be found.
I have only had this trouble since the free trial ended, would this be the reason for these problems?

[rolly]

Great, another !@#$%^&*()_ application to put on my already overloaded PC

Not sure about the command line in windows,but for linux,if I had a .rar file named abc.rar I would only enter a simple command,"unrar".
Unrar is nothing more than a script that uses a small library.
Example:unrar e abc.rar.

For split files,instead of using hjsplit or a similiar windows program,I would use the command "cat" to join the files to a single file,then use the unrar command as above.
Example:cat split-files.rar.* > split-files.rar
Cat is another command used to join any group of files into one,or just simply give a list for your reference.

Check into if you can use the command line in windows.
It is a waste of time to install any application if the OS will already do it for you.

the file is no longer playable as the original file could not be found.

Sometimes the answer lies right there!
Are you using a program that indexes the playlist?
Or copies the data to a directory for use with a buffer?
Did you then change the location of the files after the program indexed the file?
If you did,the program isn't looking for where you put the file later on,(the program only does what you tell it to do),it is still using it's own index,and of course,where the index says it is,it isn't anymore.
Result:file not found

If you "really" do still have the original file,tell the program where it is.

[Hirs Ute]

Originally Posted by Starcat

I installed WinRAR a couple of months ago, and all worked fine while it was in it`s trial period, but now it tells me I need to buy a license to continue using it.
The last 2 albums I have downloaded in .rar files, I have been able to unzip and add to my music library, but if I then try playing them later, the file is no longer playable as the original file could not be found.
I have only had this trouble since the free trial ended, would this be the reason for these problems?

Hi Starcat, I may be tempting fate but my 'evaluation period' was up a couple of months ago and I'm still using it successfully. It could be something else or it could be that your version of WinRar got corrupted, co-incidentally at around the same time the evaluation period was complete.

[Kaeli]

Originally Posted by Starcat

I installed WinRAR a couple of months ago, and all worked fine while it was in it`s trial period, but now it tells me I need to buy a license to continue using it.
The last 2 albums I have downloaded in .rar files, I have been able to unzip and add to my music library, but if I then try playing them later, the file is no longer playable as the original file could not be found.
I have only had this trouble since the free trial ended, would this be the reason for these problems?

I get this same message when I change directory location / add subdirs, etc. or even change filename from the original, so if there were any changes from the original dl, you will probably get this message. i.e. "the file is no longer playable as the original file could not be found".

[Dave C]

Originally Posted by Starcat

I installed WinRAR a couple of months ago, and all worked fine while it was in it`s trial period, but now it tells me I need to buy a license to continue using it.
The last 2 albums I have downloaded in .rar files, I have been able to unzip and add to my music library, but if I then try playing them later, the file is no longer playable as the original file could not be found.
I have only had this trouble since the free trial ended, would this be the reason for these problems?

As with Hirs, I got the trial version ages ago and every time I use it to unzip something now it prompts me to buy the full version, but I just click the no button and it works fine. Think I will still be doing this in a years time,
Cheers,
Dave C