Password-protecting a RAR archive is a great way to protect the files inside from being accessed by others--but forget the password and it's just as useful for keeping you out. If you've got a RAR file seemingly forever inaccessible behind the wall of a forgotten password, a program called RAR Password Recovery could help you recover your data, but it will take a while.

How It Works

RAR Password Recovery essentially uses the brute-force method of cracking a password. The program will enter every password possible--within certain constraints--until it inevitably finds the correct password. Another method the program can use is the dictionary approach. If you know that the password is a word in the English language, this approach will try every word in the language until it guesses correctly. These methods can take a while but will result in your data being recovered eventually.

Interface

The program consists of a top toolbar and a configuration interface divided into four tabs. The "Brute Force" tab allows you to set the parameters of a brute force attempt at figuring out the password. Any information you put here can help speed the password recovery process, so it's a good idea to fill in as much information as you know about the password. For example, if you know the password is less than seven characters long, you can tell the program so. If you know the password is only letters, this can greatly speed up the process because the brute-force attack only has to try letters. The other tabs contain similar options, such as guessing within English language words and the priority the job should take in terms of your CPU usage. When you've set the parameters of your cracking, getting started is as easy as clicking "Start." Don't worry if you need to shut down your computer during the process. You can save your progress and continue where you left off later.

Trial Limitation

The trial version of this program is severely limited. It can only crack passwords three letters or shorter. Using RAR Password Recovery for more than this requires buying the software.

Source:

CNET.com: RAR Password Recovery Review

Softpedia.com: RAR Password Recovery Screenshots

Resource:

Intelore.com: Download RAR Password Recovery