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CAB to RAR Converter

Convert CAB to RAR online for free. Fast, secure, and high-quality conversion with no sign-up or software required.

Free to useNo file stored beyond 1 hourEncrypted over TLS 1.2/1.3No watermarks

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How it works

Three steps to your converted file

Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.

01

Upload your file

Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.

02

Choose an output format

Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.

03

Convert & download

Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.

What is a CAB file?

The CAB (Cabinet) file format is a native compressed archive container developed by Microsoft, primarily utilized for the Windows Installer API, DirectX components, and device driver deployment. It supports lossless data compression algorithms including MSZIP (a DEFLATE variant), Quantum, and LZX, the latter providing high compression ratios essential for minimizing distribution media usage. The format structure is identified by the 'MSCF' signature in the file header and integrates with Microsoft Authenticode, allowing digital signatures to verify the integrity and origin of the archived binaries before execution or installation.

How to open a CAB file

Microsoft Windows operating systems provide native kernel-level support for CAB archives, enabling users to view contents via Windows Explorer or extract files using the built-in expand.exe command-line utility. For users requiring advanced extraction features or operating on non-Windows platforms, third-party software is necessary. 7-Zip and WinRAR are standard solutions for Windows, while Linux users typically employ the cabextract package, and macOS users utilize The Unarchiver to decode the specific MSZIP or LZX compression streams.

CAB Technical Info

Full Name
Windows Cabinet File
Developed By
Microsoft
Initial Release
1992
MIME Type
application/vnd.ms-cab-compressed

What is a RAR file?

RAR (Roshal Archive) is a proprietary archive file format developed by Eugene Roshal that supports data compression, error recovery, and file spanning. It utilizes a variation of the LZSS algorithm with a sliding window size of up to 4 MB (in RAR4) or 1 GB (in RAR5), combined with Huffman coding. Key technical features include support for AES-256 encryption, BLAKE2sp hash algorithms for file integrity, and specialized recovery records that allow for the reconstruction of damaged data. The format structure supports solid archiving, where multiple files are treated as a single continuous data stream to improve compression ratios.

How to open a RAR file

Due to the proprietary nature of the RAR licensing, creating RAR files requires licensed software (WinRAR), though extraction is supported by various free tools. Windows users typically use WinRAR or 7-Zip to extract contents. macOS users can utilize The Unarchiver or Keka. On Linux, the non-free unrar package or the open-source 7z (p7zip-full) package provides extraction capabilities via the command line.

RAR Technical Info

Full Name
Roshal Archive
Developed By
Eugene Roshal
Initial Release
1993
MIME Type
application/vnd.rar

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Why RunConvert

The fastest way to convert any file

Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.

Convert CAB to RAR in seconds

Every CAB to RAR conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.

Fast, cloud-powered

No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.

Secure & private

Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.

Free - no account needed

Convert without creating an account - no credit card, no trial clock. Sign in only if you want history and higher daily limits.

Developer API

Convert CAB to RAR via API

Automate CAB to RAR conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.

# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "tag": "cab-to-rar",
    "tasks": {
      "upload-file": {
        "operation": "import/upload"
      },
      "convert": {
        "operation": "convert",
        "input": "upload-file",
        "output_format": "rar"
      },
      "export-result": {
        "operation": "export/url",
        "input": "convert"
      }
    }
  }'

# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.cab

# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.