Quick fix: in most cases you don’t lose anything — reinstalling over the top keeps your settings. To be safe, export HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WinRAR from the Registry Editor first, reinstall, then double-click that .reg file to restore.

Reinstall WinRAR Without Losing Your Settings & Notes

Keep your preferences, file associations, themes and archive comments

Good news first: your “notes” are safer than you think. WinRAR stores your preferences (file associations, themes, default compression, saved paths) in your Windows user profile, and any archive comments you have written live inside the archive files themselves — not in the program folder. So a normal reinstall keeps all of it.

This guide shows the safe way to reinstall anyway: a one-minute backup so you can restore your exact configuration if anything goes wrong.

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Reinstall safely, step by step

Back up your WinRAR settings

Press Win+R, type regedit, Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WinRAR, right-click it → Export, and save a winrar-backup.reg file somewhere safe. This single file holds your associations, theme choice, paths and options.

Note your theme and license

If you use a custom theme, keep a copy of its .theme.rar file. If you bought a licence, keep your rarreg.key file (in the WinRAR program folder) so registered status carries over.

Your archive comments are already safe

Comments you added to archives are stored inside those .rar/.zip files, so they are untouched by reinstalling. To view one after reinstalling, open the archive and use Tools → Show information / the comment pane.

Reinstall over the top (no uninstall needed)

Run the official WinRAR installer straight over your current copy. It repairs the program files while keeping your existing settings — you usually do not need to uninstall first.

Only do a clean uninstall if told to

If you are specifically fixing corruption, uninstall via Settings → Apps, reboot, then install fresh. Your exported .reg and .key files mean you lose nothing.

Restore your settings

After installing, double-click winrar-backup.reg and confirm to merge it back. Copy rarreg.key into the WinRAR folder to restore your licence, and re-apply your theme via Options → Themes.

Still stuck after every step? A clean reinstall from the official installer resolves most edge cases — see how to reinstall WinRAR without losing your settings.

Related WinRAR errors & fixes

Frequently asked questions

Does reinstalling WinRAR delete my settings?

No. Reinstalling over the top keeps your preferences, file associations and theme. WinRAR stores these in your user profile, so they survive a normal reinstall.

Where are my WinRAR settings stored?

In the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\WinRAR. Export that key to a .reg file to back up, and double-click the file to restore after reinstalling.

Will I lose the comments (notes) I added to archives?

No. Archive comments are saved inside the .rar or .zip file itself, not in the WinRAR program folder, so they are completely unaffected by reinstalling.

How do I keep my registered (paid) status?

Keep a copy of the rarreg.key licence file from the WinRAR program folder and place it back into the folder after reinstalling.

Do I need to uninstall before reinstalling?

Usually no — installing over the existing copy repairs it and preserves your settings. Only do a full uninstall and clean install if you are specifically removing corruption.

WinRAR won’t open after install	When a repair reinstall is the fix.
WinRAR blank screen fix	Reset rendering by reinstalling.
WinRAR not installing on Windows 11	If the reinstall itself fails.
← Back to all Errors & Fixes	The full WinRAR troubleshooting hub.