This PowerShell script automates the process of checking for the latest version of WinRAR and updating it silently on your Windows system. No more manual downloads or installations - just run the script and stay up to date!
This repository includes three PowerShell-based approaches to automatically update WinRAR on Windows:
Each method has its own strengths and trade-offs. Choose the one that best fits your system setup and update preferences.
Personally, I like the direct-from-rarlab.com method best.
| Feature | Direct from RARLAB | Using Chocolatey (choco) |
Using Winget (winget) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Update speed | 🔥🔥🔥 Fastest (same-day) | 🔥 Fast (same-day, or with a slight delay of about 1–3 days) | 🐢 Often delayed (days–weeks) |
| Can install beta versions | ✅ Yes (pulls directly from RARLAB, so you'll get beta versions too) | ❌ No (choco usually sticks to stable releases) |
❌ No (winget usually sticks to stable releases) |
| Consistency | ⭐⭐⭐ (May break if rarlab.com changes its website or file naming format. But honestly, they've kept things stable for years) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Stable via package manager) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Stable via package manager) |
| Version check before update | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Requires package manager | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (choco) |
✅ Yes (winget) |
| Auto installs package manager | ❌ No (Because we don't need) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Silent install | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Skips if WinRAR is running | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Scheduled task support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Logging support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |