.rar changes to pdf when downloading, how do I fix this

Hi Susan,

You have to have a third party program to open .rar files.  Several are mentioned at the links below.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_files/add-winrar-support-to-windows-10/6e2d68c4-86dc-4ffe-9b0a-636bd2516db0

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When you are saving the file, do you get the option as to the file format in the Save As window?  Are you logged in as an administrator? 

When I download a file, say from, my email account, I click on the file and a bar opens at the very bottom of the window.  One of the options is to "Save As."  I can then save the file wherever I want and in it's original format. 

And then this windows.

Do you see the Save As Type?  Do you get any options when you click this?

Brenda

Please be more specific about the exact program you are downloading the .rar files with.  Do you open an internet browser?  Are you downloading from an email account using a browser?  Which browser?

What is the exact program that was used to compress the files? 

What type of files do you have compressed into .rar files?  Music, documents, software applications, which? 

What antivirus program do you use?  Are you using a third party firewall? 

Look at this link.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2987629/security/when-is-a-flaw-not-a-flaw-the-winrar-question.html

And this one.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/ovauAPElss0

http://www.ehow.com/how_5541750_download-rar-files.html

I can find older threads on the internet concerning this.  Most point to a firewall that is preventing the download.  Using InPrivate browsing, Norton Antivirus, and extensions added to the Chrome browser all given as causes. 

I am not sure what program is being used to compress the files, but I do know that 7Zip will extract from a .rar and that is what I use.

The things in the .rar could be gif, png, jpg.

Up until a week or so ago when I got an email with a .rar all I had to do was "Save As" and it saved automatically as .rar.

Then one day recently I noticed that when I receive an email from others I share with, the file type still shows .rar but the picture/logo is pdf and when I save it, I don't get the option to save it as anything, it is a pdf file now and that is all it will save as, and of course pdf can't read gif or png, etc. 

I have no idea why it changed and why I don't have the option to choose how I want it saved.

I don't even know who I would call to see if it can be fixed.

Thanks

Hi Susan,

Are you using a web browser to login to an email account, or do you use a third party email client, like Mozilla Thunderbird, or are you using Windows Mail?   

I experimented with photos.  I use WinRAR to compress files and to extract them.  I do webmail using Internet Explorer 11 with my primary email account.  I have a Gmail account, too, that I access using Internet Explorer 11.  I could send and receive .rar files (Photos) with both email accounts, with no problems.  With both my primary email account and with Gmail, I could both open and save the .rar file.  When I chose to open, WinRAR popped up to extract the files. 

Then I experimented using music files.  I compressed 2 music files.  This is when I started having problems.  My Gmail account received a .rar file and allowed it to download, but then I was disabled from sending out any email.  I will probably have to restart my browser and delete temporary internet files. 

If you're using Internet Explorer, Edge, Chrome or FireFox, try deleting your temporary internet files and see if there is any change.  I would restart the computer, too.

Internet Explorer 11

Open Internet Explorer, then

Click on the Gear Icon (Tools) in the upper right hand corner.

Point to Safety, then

Click on Delete Browsing History.

Select the options in that window, then click the Delete button. 

In Microsoft Edge, go to More , then Settings, and under Clear Browsing Data, select Choose what to clear, and then select the check box(es) for the information you want to clear.

Google Chrome

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95582?hl=en

Firefox

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=clear-cache-delete-temporary-files-fix-issues