How to Recover Lost or Forgotten RAR File Password

When you forget the RAR password and wish to recover it to avoid losing data, your best bet is to choose a reliable tool. Although many professionals suggest using a Windows built-in program, Notepad, or some online portal to recover a RAR password, such solutions may not always work.

Nevertheless, the following sections teach the three most used methods to regain the lost RAR password using the least effort and minimal human intervention.

Method 1: Forgot RAR File Password? Get It Back Using a RAR Password Recovery Tool

In this method, you will learn how to use one of the best RAR password recovery programs called PassFab for RAR.

PassFab for RAR is a Windows-based application to recover RAR passwords if you forget them. Regardless of the compression or encryption type a RAR file may have, you can bypass the security barrier using the correct attack mode the application comprises. A brief description of each attack method is given below:

Dictionary Attack: In this attack mode, PassFab for RAR tries all the commonly used passwords within its database (called a ‘dictionary’) to decompress/decrypt the file and recover the RAR password. This mode also allows you to upload a custom dictionary you may have created or obtained from a reliable source.
Brute Force with Mask Attack: This method is effective when you know some part of the password. For example, if you know whether the password had 10 characters, all were numbers or a combination of alphanumeric and numeric characters, etc. After picking this attack type, you can set parameters for recovery to narrow down the criteria PassFab for RAR should use to find the lost RAR password.
Brute Force Attack: You can pick this attack type when you don’t remember anything about the password. When you choose this method, PassFab for RAR tries all possible characters and their combinations to recover the lost RAR password.

Now that you understand how each attack type works, it’s time to see how to recover RAR passwords with PassFab for RAR. You can follow the steps given below to learn the process:

Step 1: Import the Encrypted RAR File

>> Get PassFab for RAR <<

Download PassFab for RAR and install it on your Windows computer. Launch the program, click Add on the first screen, and locate and import the password-protected RAR file to the application.

Step 2: Choose an Attack Mode

Choose the correct attack mode according to your requirements.

Step 3: Recover the RAR Password

Click Start once everything is in place, and give PassFab for RAR a moment or two to recover the lost RAR password and display it on your screen.

RAR Password Recovery Recovered Password

Method 2: Recover Forgotten RAR Password with Notepad

Notepad is a free program that comes installed with Windows. The app is lightweight and accepts only text characters. In simple words, Notepad is a basic text editor, which makes it easy to use. However, the true power of the application is that you can type lengthy scripts in it and save the file in the format you prefer to use or execute.

Because you are learning to recover RAR passwords in this title, you must write a complex decryption code in Notepad and save it as a ‘batch’ file with the *.bat extension. The entire process is explained below:

Part 1: Create a Password Recovery Batch File

In this part, you will create the ‘batch’ file. The instructions are as follows:

Step 1: Launch Notepad

Type Notepad inside the Search box in the taskbar and hit Enter, or open it from the Start > All apps menu.

Step 2: Write the Recovery Script

Copy the following and paste it into the Notepad:

@echo off
title Rar Password Cracker (Numeric)
mode con: cols=60 lines=30
SET PSWD=0
SET DEST=%TEMP%\%RANDOM%
MD %DEST%
:RAR
cls
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo                   GET DETAIL
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo.
SET/P "UNRAR_PATH=Enter Full Path of Unrar.exe (not including itself) :"
SET/P "PATH=Enter Full Path of the file (not including the file name) : "
IF "%PATH%"=="" goto PERROR
cd %PATH%
SET/P "NAME=Enter File Name  : "
IF "%NAME%"=="" goto NERROR
goto NEXT
:NERROR
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo                      ERROR
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo Sorry you can't leave it blank.
pause
goto RAR
:PERROR
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo                      ERROR
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo Sorry you can't leave it blank.
pause
goto RAR
:NEXT
IF EXIST "%PATH%\%NAME%" GOTO START
goto PATH
:PATH
cls
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo                     ERROR
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo Opppss File does not Exist..
pause
goto RAR
:START
cls
echo.
echo  Cracking... This might takes hours...
SET /A PSWD+=1
cd %UNRAR_PATH%
unrar E -INUL -P%PSWD% "%PATH%\%NAME%" "%DEST%"
IF /I %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 GOTO FINISH
GOTO START
:FINISH
RD %DEST% /Q /S
cls
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo                     CRACKED
echo ----------------------------------------------
echo.
echo PASSWORD FOUND!
echo FILE  = %NAME%
echo CRACKED PASSWORD = %PSWD%
pause >NUL
exit

Step 3: Create the Batch File

On the Notepad interface, go to File and click Save As from the menu.

When the Save as box opens, browse to the folder in which you want to save the *.bat file and choose All files from the Save as type list. Enter any name in the File name field, but use .bat as an extension. Also, enclose the entire name within double quotes. For instance, if the file name is Password Recovery, type “Password Recovery.bat”, and click Save.

Once you’ve created the ‘batch’ file, move to Part 2 to learn how to use it to recover the RAR password.

Part 2: Use the Batch File to Recover the Lost RAR Password

In this part, you will use the ‘batch’ file you created earlier to recover the RAR password. The method is given below:

Step 1: Define the UnRAR File Path

Double-click to launch the ‘batch’ file you created in the previous part. When the CMD window opens, and the prompt asks you for the path of the Unrar file, use File Explorer to go to the C:\Program Files\WinRAR folder. Locate the UnRAR.exe file and drag and drop it inside the Command Prompt window to add its path automatically.

Notice that the UnRAR.exe file name also appears in the command, which this ‘batch’ file won’t accept (according to the script). Therefore, you must press Backspace to remove the closing double quote and the name of the file. Use the left arrow key to go to the beginning of the command and delete the opening double quote, too.

When you are done, the command should look like C:\Program Files\WinRAR\ in the CMD window.

Press Enter to proceed.

Step 2: Define Encrypted File’s Path

When the next prompt asks for the encrypted file path, drag the password-protected RAR file and drop it inside the CMD window. Even in this command, use Backspace to delete the file name, leaving only the path. For example, if the file is on the desktop, the path will look like C:\Users\vivek\OneDrive\Desktop\.

Press Enter to continue.

Step 3: Specify the File Name and Recover RAR Password

On the next prompt, type the file name with its extension. E.g., SensitiveData.rar. Press Enter and wait while the ‘batch’ file recovers the password.

Note: This method can recover the lost RAR password containing only numeric characters, and it may take a considerable amount of time and might not even always work. As a result, you might end up wasting several hours for nothing.

Method 3: Recover Lost RAR Password Online

This is the simplest solution but comes with the cost of putting your data privacy at risk, as you will have to upload the encrypted RAR file to a web portal, which could make it vulnerable to exposure. Because of this downside, you must consider this route the last resort, i.e., after you have tried the above remedies and all failed to recover the RAR password.

You can learn how to get back the lost RAR password with an online solution by following the instructions given below:

Launch a web browser and go to https://www.lostmypass.com/file-types/rar/
Check the I’m not a robot box
Next, click or click here
Upload the encrypted RAR file
Wait while the web app decrypts the file, recovers the RAR password, and displays it on your PC screen

Note: This method is free if the RAR file has a numeric password. But the recovery rate is only 22%.

On the other hand, passwords with alphanumeric characters require you to get the paid service by the portal. However, even after the investment, the recovery process may take up to 24 hours, and the success rate increases only up to 61%. Because of this, you might end up losing money with no results in hand.

FAQs

How safe is PassFab for RAR?

The program works on your local computer, so data privacy is at the least risk.

Is the Notepad method effective if I forget my RAR file password?

The Notepad method works only on numeric passwords and may take several hours. As for its effectiveness, it often fails to recover RAR passwords, and you may have to look for other options in that case.

Should I use the online solution, which is the easiest of all, if I forget my WinRAR password?

You must consider it the last resort as it puts your data privacy at risk of exposure to unwanted people.

Conclusion

Recovering a lost RAR password is easy if you know the correct procedure. While you can try some online portals, they may not always work, and you might lose money. The Notepad method is also effective but can recover only numeric passwords. Therefore, if you need a 100% working solution, PassFab for RAR would be your best bet if you forgot a RAR password.