How to Unpack Multi-Part Archive Files

First, none of the archives has passwords 

Second, At times, downloadable products come in sizable packages distributed as multipart split files. These files are identified by a series of names, such as:

  • FileName.zip.001
  • FileName.zip.002
  • FileName.zip.003

The archive formats you might encounter include zip, tar, 001, gzip, dmg, rar, 7z, zipx, and numerous others, constituting a vast array of archive file formats.

Fortunately, the process of extracting and utilizing these files on your computer is straightforward once you are familiar with the procedure.

Tools for Extracting Files & Unzipping To begin, install a compression tool designed for unarchiving or unzipping multipart files. Below is a compilation of tools suitable for unzipping multipart files. While there are many more tools accessible online, here are a few recommendations:

Mac

  1. Archive Utility (built-in)
  2. Keka (Free)
  3. The Unarchiver (Free)*

Windows

  1. 7-Zip (Free)
  2. WinZip
  3. PeaZip (Free)
  4. Hampster Zip (Free)

Linux

  1. PeaZip – Open Source
  2. 7-Zip (Free)
  3. DAR (Free)

*Note: Some users have reported issues with The UnArchiver when dealing with sequenced zip files. It is highly recommended to use Keka on Mac for a smoother experience.

How to Unzip / Unarchive Follow these steps to successfully unzip or unarchive your files:

  1. Download all the files in the sequence.
  2. Select all the files in the sequence; this is crucial as clicking on a single file will not suffice.
  3. On Mac: Right-click or option-click to reveal the flyout menu. Under “Open With,” choose your preferred tool. For instance, in this demonstration, Keka on Mac is used, but the process is comparable for other tools.
  4. On Windows: Right-click > Choose your application > Extract…

Note: The process may vary slightly depending on the software you are using, but these steps provide a general guideline. To sum up:

  1. Download an unarchiver tool.
  2. Download ALL the files you need to unzip.
  3. Select all files in the sequence.
  4. Open with your chosen unarchiver tool.

in short on how to extract files from a .rar archive

On Windows

WinRar Download

  1. Install WinRAR or 7‑Zip (both can handle .rar files).
  2. Right‑click the .rar file.
  3. Choose “Extract Here” to unpack in the same folder, or “Extract to [folder name]” to create a new folder.
  4. Wait for extraction to finish — your files will appear in the chosen location.

On Mac

  1. Install The Unarchiver from the App Store.
  2. Open the .rar file with it (or drag it onto the app icon).
  3. The extracted files will appear in the same directory.

On Linux

Run this command in the terminal: 
sudo apt install unrar
unrar x filename.rar

✅ How to Properly Extract Multi-Part RAR Files

  1. Keep all archive parts in the same folder Make sure all .rar files are in one place. Then, right-click and extract from the main file — usually the one named just filename.rar (without numbers like 01.rar, 02.rar, etc.).
  2. Check that all parts are the same size For example, if you have files like 01.rar to 09.rar, each one (except the main .rar file) should be exactly the same size — say 9000 MB.
    • If 01.rar is 9000 MB, but 02.rar is only 7856 MB, that means the download was incomplete or corrupted.
    • In that case, re-download the incorrect file (e.g. 02.rar) to match the correct size and avoid errors during extraction (like CRC errors).
    ✅ Note: The only file that can be a different size is the main .rar file — the one without a number.
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