How to Fix Checksum Error in WinRAR?

Have you ever encountered Checksum errors when using WinRAR on your Windows computer? Windows user, Devid Will, asked for help fixing the Checksum error on Microsoft Community.

“Winrar checksum error and installation are getting errors too“
getting a checksum error while extracting any archive file. I tried using 7zip too, but nothing worked. I have already formatted my PC two times, but I am still getting this error. I tried downloading other rar or zip files (all the rar files were in parts file) At first, when I tried to extract with 7 Zip my PC got a bluescreen error. After that, I restarted my PC, and 7 Zip was uninstalled automatically any solution

In this article, we will explain what the Checksum error is and how to fix it step by step.

What Is a Checksum Error in WinRAR?

A checksum error in WinRAR is a RAR file error. That is to say, when the bytes are lost from the file or the file gets extra bytes, this error may occur, which harms the integrity of the file (the file is not the orginal file anymore). While encountering this error, you can not open the rar file, or you can either compress or extract any file. 

What Causes WinRAR Checksum Error?

❌ Transmission issues

Due to the transmission issues, the archive file may be damaged already, leading to the error of mismatching the data between the original file and the current one.

❌ Incomplete download

If the archive file you download is not complete, it may lead to an error when extracting or decompressing the file.

❌ Storage issue

Due to storage medium problems like hard disk drives having some bad sectors, malfunction, or insufficient storage, this error may occur. 

❌ Virus or malware infection

Virus and malware will modify archive files, and this will lead to a checksum error in the WinRAR.

❌ Windows registry corruption

The corrupted registry can lead to WinRAR’s irregular operation. Thus the error may occur.

How to Fix Checksum Error?

Solution 1: Using the Keep Broken Files Feature

WinRAR will delete the corrupted archive file by default. But, you can leave these broken files, later to recover the data from the files or use some repair tools to fix the files (WinRAR also has a feature that can repair the broken RAR file). So, when operating WinRAR, choose to keep the broken files. Here is how to do it.

Step 1. Find your archived (compressed) file on the computer.

Step 2. Right-click the file > select WinRAR > Extract Files.

Step 3. Find the Miscellaneous section > enable the Keep Broken Files option. > click OK.

Step 4. After all of this is done, WinRAR will extract files, including broken files. 

Solution 2: Repair Broken Files by WinRAR

WinRAR offers a solution that can help to repair the damaged archive files. If the repair succeeds, extracting data from the archived file will be no problem. 

Step 1. Right-click the broken RAR file or Zip file and click Open with WinRAR option.

Step 2. Once the WinRAR opens, click Tools and Repair archive.

Step 3. Click Browse in the Archive type section, and choose the .rar or the .zip according to the original file.

Step 4. Hit OK to start the repair process. After the process is finished, simply click Close to exit.

Solution 3: Re-download the Archived File

Suppose the error is caused by the incomplete download of the file or the interruption in the middle of the transmission. You can redownload the file to decompress the file again. 

Step 1. Delete the file.

Step 2. Redownload the file. 

Step 3. Extract the file again.

Solution 4: Remove and Reinstall WinRAR

If you still can not extract your data, try to remove and reinstall WinRAR.

Step 1: Remove WinRAR.

1. Go to the Settings.
2. Find Apps section.
3. Click Installed Apps.

4. Find WinRAR > click three dots > choose Uninstall.

Steo 2. Reinstall WinRAR.

There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions of WinRAR. So, we should figure out which one the computer is.

1. Go to the Settings.

2. Click system > about.

3. Check on the System type to see if it is 64-bit or 32-bit.

4. Visit WinRAR’s website.

5. Download the version that fits your computer.
6. Click Install.

7. Enable the Associate WinRAR with options (better enable all, or you can leave it by default). 

8. In the interface section, choose the option you want, or you can leave it by default.

9. In the Shell integration, choose the option you want, or you can leave it by default.

10. After all this is done, click OK.

11. Open the program and click Done to use the free trial.

Solution 5: Turn Off Your Antivirus Programs Temporarily

Antivirus programs may falsely regard the archived file as a contained file. They will delete or break the file to the virus chest. To avoid this, temporarily disabling antivirus programs may help to solve this problem.

1. Go to the Settings on the computer.
2. Click Windows Security on the left list.

3. Click Windows Defender Antivirus Options > turn off the Periodic scanning.

4. If you have installed other third-party antivirus programs, disable them for a while as well.

Solution 6: Run a CHKDSK Scan

If the checksum error occurs due to the bad sectors in the hard disk, you can check by CHKDSK utility, which is a very practical tool on Windows, scanning, detecting, and repairing the problems within the disk.

Here are the steps:

Step 1. Type cmd in the search bar in the start menu. > click Run as administrator.

Step 2. Type chkdsk/ r c: in the window > press Enter. (make sure to replace c where the archived file stored.)

Step 3. Wait for the process to end. Restart the computer to check whether the issue is fixed.

📚 Read Also: How to Check Hard Drive Health

Solution 7: Use An Alternative File Archiver

If you try all this and still can not solve the problem, try a new extract tool. There are many similar software on the market to WinRAR, like WinZip, 7-Zip, Bandizip, Express Zip. Here, we take 7-Zip as an example.

Step 1. Download and install 7-Zip. (steps are like as WinRAR)

Step 2. Right-click on the file you want to extract.

Step 3. Select 7-Zip and extract mode. You can choose where the files go when you extract them. If you want them in the current folder, pick “Extract Here.” If you prefer a different folder, use “Extract Files…” to specify it. Choosing “Extract to “Dice\‘” makes a new folder named “Dice” in the current location and puts the files there. If you select “Open archive,” you can view what’s inside the archive without extracting the files.

FAQ

🔹 How do I know if a zip file is corrupted in Windows?

If you’re having trouble opening or extracting files, encountering error messages, incomplete extraction, or unexpected file size differences, your zip file might be corrupted in Windows.

🔹 Can RAR files be recovered?

Unfortunately, once a RAR file is corrupted, recovery options are limited. Unlike some other file formats, RAR files don’t have built-in mechanisms for self-repair. Even the Repair Archive features in WinRAR only fix minor corruption. If you have a backup of the original RAR file, you can try using that. Additionally, you may attempt to download the RAR file again if you obtained it from a reliable source. However, if the file is consistently showing signs of corruption, it’s challenging to fully recover it. It’s always a good practice to keep backups to minimize the impact of data loss in such situations.

Conclusion

To sum it up, fixing a checksum error in WinRAR is crucial for keeping your compressed files safe and sound. By following the steps outlined in this guide, and you’ll be able to troubleshoot and fix checksum errors like a pro. Taking care of your archived files is key to avoiding data headaches. So, stay on top of it, catch issues early, and keep enjoying the smooth ride of compressing and extracting files with WinRAR!