XAR File - opening and understanding
Did your computer fail to open an XAR file? We explain what they are used for and recommend software that we know can open or otherwise handle your .XAR files.
What is an XAR file?
An .XAR file is an XAR Archive file. Files with file extension XAR are archives created in eXtensible ARchive format, a format invented by Apple and used in Mac OS when installing software and Safari browser extensions.
XAR is an archive format, meaning a single XAR file can contain multiple files. It is different from most other archive formats as it makes it possible for individual files to use different compression schemes optimized for each type of file.
How to open XAR files
You will need a program compatible with the specific file you are trying to open, as different programs may use files with file extension XAR for different purposes. We have identified 3 XAR openers for Windows that is compatible with this specific type of XAR file.
Programs that open these files
 | BitZipper | Verified |
 | 7-Zip | Verified |
 | PowerArchiver | Verified |
Other file formats using extension .XAR
While XAR Archive is a popular type of XAR-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .XAR extension.
The XAR file extension indicates to your device which app can open the file. However, different apps may use the same file extension for different types of data. So an XAR opener may not be able to open all kinds of XAR files. In this case, look through both formats to make sure you find the best suited XAR viewer.
Xara vector drawing
The Xar file format is an open vector graphic format, resulting in tiny files compared to other vector formats. It is the native graphics format for the Xara X application and its predecessor CorelXARA.
XAR predates more recent formats such as SVG but still results in more compact files.
The XAR file format is an open standard: XAR specification
While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested 10 different XAR openers which you will find listed below.
Various viewers for this file format
These apps are known to open certain types of XAR files. Remember, different programs may use XAR files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.
 | FreeArc | User submitted |
 | Hamster Lite Archiver | User submitted |
 | WoopieZIP | User submitted |
 | UnzipLite | User submitted |
 | Hamster Free Archiver | User submitted |
 | Hamster Free ZIP Archiver | User submitted |
 | Free Zip Opener | User submitted |
 | CubeICE | User submitted |
 | TwidoSuite | User submitted |
 | 360 | User submitted |
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