In this tutorial, we will show you how to fix WinRAR’s Archive is Either in Unknown Format or Damaged error. The perks of using a file compression software stand aplenty. The first and most obvious one is the fact that you end up saving more storage space. Likewise, it also ends up saving some considerable network bandwidth. This is the reason why many developers and websites upload their file packages in a compressed format (ZIP or RAR).
However, as of late, not many seems to make full use of these file types. Some users are not able to access or extract the contents of the archived file. When they are trying to carry out the aforementioned tasks, they are being greeted with the Archive is Either in Unknown Format or Damaged error in WinRAR. In this tutorial, we will make you aware of all the possible reasons as well as the potential fixes for this error. Follow along in bidding adieu to this issue once and for all.
Fix Winrar | Archive is Either in Unknown Format or Damaged
Among all the reasons, the most common one is that the uploaded file might be corrupt in the first place. Along the same lines, if the file has an incorrect extension, then WinRAR might have a tough time recognizing it. Likewise, if the file is stored in a system directory, then the app might not be able to read its contents. With that said, here are the steps to fix these issues. This in turn will fix the WinRAR’s Archive is Either in Unknown Format or Damaged error as well.
Fix 1: Use WinRAR’s Repair Feature
Not many users might be aware of this feature, but WinRAR comes baked in with a Repair feature. It scans the corrupt files for the issues and then would fix it accordingly. Although the mileage might vary, it mostly does its job pretty well.
- So launch WinRAR on your PC and navigate to the corrupt file.
- Select it and then click on the Repair option situated at the top menu bar.
- The app will now ask for the location where it should save the repaired file. Browse to the desired location and click OK.
- The process will now begin and could take some time, depending on the size of the file.
- Once done, hit the Close button and head over to the repaired file’s location. It would be named as repaired.<file-name>
