With WinRAR, folders can be saved and encrypted as .zip or .rar files under Windows. But it can happen quickly that you forget your password. Normally it would mean "bad luck" - but we still have a few tricks up our sleeve as you might be able to decrypt the file after all.
Attention: You may only use the methods below if you have the rights to the files! If you try to open someone else's file with it, this counts as a criminal offense and can lead to serious consequences.
Crack WinRAR password manually
This tip may sound a bit strange at first, but it should not be overlooked: Try to remember your password. It does not have to be the entire password; you can also name individual properties. Is your password only made up of numbers? Was it a name or a common word? Do you use the same password more often? Was the password shorter or longer?
WinRAR does not have a limited number of attempts to enter passwords. So you can try out a little first. Perhaps in the meantime you will remember the exact password..
Bypass WinRAR password with software
There are various online tools that you can use to crack the password and thus open the file. The programs use one of two methods:
- Brute force method: Here the tool enters all conceivable combinations one after the other until (hopefully) the right one was found. It is very useful here if you have brainstormed as described above. The more specifications you can enter - i.e. only numbers, only letters, etc. - the faster it goes. Because the brute force method can take a very, very long time.
- Dictionary method: With the dictionary method, the software assumes a stored dictionary. The known words, also as compound combinations, are tried out. It becomes problematic here as soon as not just a word but also a string of numbers is used. A password cracker using the dictionary method would be able to recognize the password "Sunflower", but not the password "Sun123".
But caution is advised: depending on the source, the download of a password cracker can quickly have undesirable consequences. In the worst case, you download a virus in addition to the cracker tool. We have put together some clean programs for you below. In addition, some tools are not available for free.
The software " Advanced Archive Password Recovery " would be recommended. She can recover the password using either method. However, the cost of this software is at least 49 €. So here you should think twice about whether the data in your .zip or .rar file really needs to be saved. There is also a free trial version, but this is limited to short passwords..
Advanced Archive Password Recovery offers you many options to access the contents of your .rar file.
Then there is, for example, the free software " Passware Kit ". With this you can enter known parts of the password and the tool will decrypt the rest for you. However, if the password is eight or more characters, it becomes difficult. The estimated decryption time can then take years.
The Passware Kit program shows you this interface after starting. " RAR Password Recovery " is also a suitable tool. It masters both the brute force method and the dictionary variant. Here, too, there is a free trial version and various premium versions. These can be bought from € 37.
This is what the RAR Password Recovery interface looks like.