O WinRAR created a post on Twitter that went viral thanks to the tone of humor and sadness. The file compression app used the “it’s fine” meme — the one about the dog in the house on fire — to represent current sentiment about a Windows 11 tool.
The joke is a reference to people who always see the bright side of things, even when everything seems to conspire against it. In the case of WinRAR, the “threat” could have consequences for the future of the app.
Microsoft’s operating system will natively support the RAR format, as announced during Microsoft Build 2023. As a result, there is a real possibility that WinRAR will finally be retired after almost three decades of life.
How will RAR work on Windows 11?
It’s not clear how the built-in feature will work, but it’s likely to follow the model already adopted by ZIP a few years ago. Versions aimed at the corporate market even expand the supported formats, but none offered support for RAR, as it is a proprietary format.
The Windows file compression tool is very basic: you select the files and it compresses them to occupy less space on the HD. There are no features to protect with passwords, split into multiple files or repair damaged content.
So maybe WinRAR can still survive if it fortifies missing Windows extras. Although it is a paid software, it allows the user to eternally extend the 40-day license, which obviously discourages the purchase. Recently, influencer Felipe Neto bought a license for the program to set an example and show how the paid version works.
Will WinRAR die?
WinRAR has more than half a billion users worldwide, making it the most popular compression tool in the world. Its functionality goes beyond the proprietary format to “unzip” older ones as well, such as GZ, ARJ and even ISO.
It is worth remembering that WinRAR caused a great revolution when it hit the market thanks to its high file compression power and password encryption. Not even the rivalry with the open source 7Z (7-ZIP) format was a match for the beloved format.
Native support for RAR should arrive in Windows 11 sometime in the second half, but there is still no set date. Testers enrolled in the Windows Insider program must receive a preview first.
