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Fix: WinRAR Cannot Execute File Error [4 Quick Solutions]

Rest assured that our solutions are exactly what you need

3 min. read

Updated onOctober 13, 2023

updated onOctober 13, 2023

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Key notes

RAR files, as well as ZIP files, are a great way to compress essential data and save them. You can even encrypt them, password protect them, and, most importantly, they save you a lot of space on your drive.

However, it’s frustrating to have important files and not be able to extract them just because you get the “WinRAR cannot execute file” error. This issue can be caused by a file corruption problem or WinRAR itself.

If WinRAR cannot extract the file we will try to guide you step by step and help you solve this awful situation to your advantage.

How can I fix WinRAR diagnostic message cannot execute?

How can I fix WinRAR diagnostic message cannot execute?

1. Make sure that the file is an archive

TheWinRAR cannot execute file errorcan also appear if you are trying to unarchive a file that is not an archive. An.exe or.bin file can be a non-archive file and cannot be extracted.

Your file should have the extension of an archive like ZIP, RAR, ISO, GZ, 7Z, TAR GZ, TAR, or others.

2. Use WinZip

First of all, if you’ve had enough of WinRAR errors, it’s a good idea to tryWinZip, the best archiving software that you can find.

This recommendation is based on the fact that this tool supports more than 24 popular formats, including the RAR files, so you will have a great shot at solving this error immediately.

And if the archive is somehow damaged, WinZip also has an archive repair feature that can easily fix it. After the problem is fixed, you can continue using this awesome tool that offers many other advantages like file encryption, file splitting, PDF to Word conversion, and many more.

If you don’t have enough reasons to switch to WinZip, you can use this excellent tool to perform file backup operations. That comes in handy with the file-sharing support and the integrated cloud storage.

If you’re not yet convinced, hit the button below and go for the free trial version. You will surely be able to make up your mind then.

WinZip

3. Use the contextual menu

4. Open the file with File Explorer

This is all you can do when you receive theWinRAR cannot execute file error. We are confident that by using an error-free tool such as WinZip you will solve this problem but you can also use our other solutions. Besides, WinZip might also help withError 0x8096002A in Windows.

We hope that one of them helped you solve this issue but if you have any additions or suggestions, let us know in the comments section below.

More about the topics:file compression

Claudiu Andone

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Oldtimer in the tech and science press, Claudiu is focused on whatever comes new from Microsoft.

His abrupt interest in computers started when he saw the first Home Computer as a kid. However, his passion for Windows and everything related became obvious when he became a sys admin in a computer science high school.

With 14 years of experience in writing about everything there is to know about science and technology, Claudiu also likes rock music, chilling in the garden, and Star Wars. May the force be with you, always!

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Claudiu Andone

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Oldtimer in the tech and science press, with 14 years of experience in writing on everything there is to know about science, technology, and Microsoft