# RAR file size

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2010, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014 "2010-11-09T09:08:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014/1 "2010-11-09T09:08:40Z")

</div>

Is there a way to determine how large a .rar file or multiple .rar files would be uncompressed?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014/2 "2010-11-09T09:15:49Z")

</div>

If you’re using the WinRAR graphic interface: Open the archive (Double Click if you’ve set WinRAR to be the default Archive Handler), then Tools-\>Show Information (or ALT+I as a keyboard shortcut)

ETA: This is for a single archive. Gimme a sec to check on multiple.

ETA 2: Apparently this **doesn’t** work for multiple files. Selecting two archives and hitting enter opens two separate browsers. Going “up” in the WinRAR browser gives you a list of archives in the dir and allows you multiple selection, but won’t show the unpacked size for more than one at a time.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014/3 "2010-11-09T09:28:03Z")

</div>

I’m using 7-Zip v4.65. I select all the .rar files and click on the info icon. On the bottom of the program, I see two number, one is the compressed file size. The second number is much larger. Would this be the uncompressed files’ size?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014/4 "2010-11-09T09:32:41Z")

</div>

Sorry, I’m unfamiliar with 7-Zip; I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for someone who is to answer you…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014/5 "2010-11-09T13:06:53Z")

</div>

I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for but with 7-Zip you can choose “test archive” and it will tell you exactly how large the file will be uncompressed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rar-file-size/560014/6 "2010-11-09T13:54:52Z")

</div>

With 7-Zip 4.65, just type the following, substituting the filename of the archive of interest:

```auto

7z l filename.rar

```

You will get a table showing the original and compressed size for each file, as well as the total:

```auto

$ 7z l bloodpak.rar

7-Zip 4.65 Copyright (c) 1999-2009 Igor Pavlov 2009-02-03
p7zip Version 4.65 (locale=en_US.UTF-8,Utf16=on,HugeFiles=on,2 CPUs)

Listing archive: bloodpak.rar

Solid = -
Blocks = 3
Multivolume = -
Volumes = 1

   Date Time Attr Size Compressed Name
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------ ------------------------
2006-01-10 10:16:47 ....A 21616983 6140012 bloodpak_V_1_03.WAD
2006-01-10 10:55:41 ....A 1469 732 _readme_de.txt
2006-01-10 10:55:36 ....A 1408 694 _readme_en.txt
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------ ------------------------
                              21619860 6141438 3 files, 0 folders

$

```