.JAR File Extension – How to Open and Run JAR Files in Windows 10

What is .JAR Extension?

JAR is short for Java Archive. An archive is a collection of files. Archives are created for proper management and storage of files. These files can also be shared easily.

JAR File Extension

The JAR files are used by the Java Runtime Environment. The Runtime Environment is capable of handling these files efficiently. The JAR files can be used for many purposes.

In order to make sure of JAR files, you need to have Java Runtime Entertainment installed. However, through decompression, you can access the JAR files. Using tools like WinRAR, 7-Zip and WinZip etc. you can open JAR files.

Using Decompression for Viewing JAR Files

Using WinRAR or 7-ZIP, you can access JAR files individually in a non-executable manner. Here’s how:

  1. Download and install WinRAR.
  2. Open WinRAR and open the file. Now extract those files.
  3. You can now view these files. However, some files might need other tools for complete access.

In order to make WinRAR the default tool for opening such files, follow these steps:

  • Right-Click the file and select the ‘Open With’ option. Now choose WinRAR in the list of applications.

Java Runtime Environment

Java Runtime Environment is an essential tool for running JAR files. But in order to run JAR files, the JAR files must be of executable nature. Otherwise, you can only read those files. Once, you have Java Runtime Environment installed, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the file and then click the ‘Open With’ option. Locate the Java.exe file, which is probably located here:
  2. Program Files (x86)\Java
  3. Or
  4. Program Files\ Java
  5. Find Java.exe at the location given above and select it.

Running a JAR File via Command Prompt

This is a simple method for running JAR files. Here’s how you can run a JAR file using cmd:

  1. Go to the location of the JAR file.
  2. Press right-click in combination with left-shift button, this will open command prompt’s window.
  3. Type the following command
  4. java -jar file.jar

Alternatively, you can also follow these steps:

  1. Open command prompt using start menu and type the following command:
  2. java -jar c:(JAR file’s location).jar

Opening JAR files Online

  1. Open your browser and type ‘Open JAR files online’.
  2. Go to any of these websites and select the file that you want to open.
  3. The extract option will let you access the contents of the JAR file.
  4. You can then save these files on your desired location.

These were some of the methods that you can use to open JAR files. Hopefully, these methods were helpful to you.

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