There are various types of files that we open on our computer, and for different file types, we need different programs. Sometimes, we do not need any extra programs if the file can be opened by Windows OS. Such as .exe files are executable files that can be opened with Windows OS without having any other tool.
JAR files are JAVA files that would need the JAVA platform to open. Let’s talk a bit about JAR files, and then we will see how to open them on Windows 10.
What are JAR Files?
JAR stands for Java Archive which is a file format that aggregates many JAVA files and their metadata & resources into one file. That is an archive file which may include Manifest files, and they have extension .jar.
How to Open .jar Files on Windows 10?
As discussed .jar files are archive files that have java based files; they can be extracted using any zip tool such as WinRar or 7-zip or any good archiving tool. But, when it comes to run the .jar files, you have to have Java Run Time Environment on your Windows 10 PC. For this, you have to download JAVA. You can download JAVA from their official website. Once it is installed, you can double click on any Java-based file including .jar files to execute that.
If double-clicking opens it with any archiving tools on your computer such as Winzip or any other such tools, then you can just Right Click on the .jar file, and click Open With, and choose java.exe from there. Java.exe usually found in Program files\Java. Just try finding in that directory, and when you find it, just select, and click “ok”. Now the file will open with JAVA.
One important thing is that if you previously installed JAVA on your computer, then try removing the older version, and install the fresh latest version to avoid any issues. For removing the older version use the official Java Uninstaller tool.
In another case, if you suspect that your computer has already the latest Java version, then do check with this official tool to know the version of your Java installed on your computer or it is not there.
In nutshell, Just make sure to have the latest JAVA installed on your Windows 10 computer to open any .jar files without facing any issue.
If you want to see the files of .jar files, you know what you have to do. Yes, you have to unarchive using Winzip or any such tool to see the files inside that JAR file. You have to do a similar process that you did for opening with Java. Just that here you have to select Winzip. Let’s see how to do:
If you do not have any archiving tool, then get Winzip or 7Zip on your computer, and then go to .jar file, right-click >> Open with >> select Winzip or 7Zip(Whichever you have installed on your PC), and open it to see the file.
Now, if you want that all .jar files open by default with Java, then you can make JAVA as default opening program for the .jar files. Generally, they open with JAVA only if it is installed but in any case, they are opening with Winzip or any other archiving tool by default, then you have to make JAVA the default opening program. For this, right-click on the file >> Open With >> Choose default Program. Now, in the open with Window, find java.exe, select that, and set it as default. Now from next time, whenever you double click on .jar files, they will open with JAVA by default.
Apart from these, if you want to open a .jar file using DOS on your Windows 10 PC, you have to type this in the command prompt:
java -jar example.jar
To Extract .Jar file using DOS, You have to type in the command prompt:
jar -xf example.jar
Now, you know how to open .jar files on Window 10. Hope you like this guide. If you have any questions or suggestions, please write down in the comment section, and we will get back to you.
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