2025 » Best Settings to Create HIGHLY COMPRESSED files using WinRAR

Know the BEST settings of WinRAR to make Highly Compressed RAR or ZIP files in Windows 11/10/7/8, and macOS

File compression is an invaluable tool for saving storage space, speeding up file transfers, and organizing large amounts of data.

WinRAR is one of the most popular archive utility programs that supports users across Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms.

If you're looking to create the smallest possible file size when compressing with WinRAR, following the right settings is key.

In this blog post, I will walk you through the best settings to create a highly compressed file using WinRAR.

By applying these optimized settings, you can significantly reduce file sizes while ensuring that the compression process is smooth and efficient.

Guide to Creating a Highly Compressed File Using WinRAR

Open the WinRAR application.
Go to Options > Settings or just hold the Ctrl + S.
In the settings window, go to the Compression tab, and under compression profiles, click on the Create Default... button.
Now under the Set default compression options, 1) click on the Compression method and select Best. 2) tap on the second option under Archive format.
Under the Archiving Options, check to Create solid archive and Lock archive. This must now look something like this screenshot.
Go to the Advanced tab and click on the Compression... option.
Under the Text compression option select Auto, set the Prediction order to 63 and Memory to use to 128 MB.
Click on OK and exit Winrar.

Now that you've set up the optimal settings, it's time to apply them to your files.

Right-click on the file or folder you want to compress.
Select either Add to ‘filename.rar’ or Add to archive… from the context menu.
The compression process will begin using the settings you've configured. Depending on the file size and system performance, this may take a few moments to complete.

Once the process finishes, you'll have a highly compressed RAR file ready for storage or sharing.

File Type Matters: Text files, spreadsheets, and other uncompressed file formats tend to compress better than images, videos, and audio files, which are often already compressed.
Consider Splitting Large Archives: If your compressed file is still large and you need to distribute it in parts, WinRAR allows you to split archives into volumes (i.e., multiple smaller files).
Password Protection: You can also enable encryption when creating the archive by selecting the Set Password option in the compression window, ensuring that only authorized users can extract the files.