How to Extract Files from a ARJ Archive on macOS
ARJ (Archived by Robert Jung) was a popular archive format in the DOS era, known for multi-volume archive support. While rarely used today, you may encounter ARJ files when working with retro computing resources or legacy data archives.
The default way to open ARJ files on macOS
Tool: 7zz via Homebrew (third-party)
$ 7zz x archive.arjSteps
- Install 7-Zip via Homebrew: brew install 7zip
- Run: 7zz x archive.arj
Extract individual files from a ARJ archive
The default macOS tools extract everything — there's no way to pick individual files. MacPacker lets you browse ARJ archive contents, preview files, and extract only what you need — without unpacking the entire archive.
A better way: open ARJ files with MacPacker
MacPacker is a free, open-source macOS archive manager that supports ARJ and 30+ other formats. Unlike the default tools, MacPacker lets you:
- Browse archive contents like a folder
- Preview files with Quick Look without extracting
- Extract individual files via drag and drop
- Navigate nested archives (archives within archives)
- Enjoy a native SwiftUI interface that feels right at home on macOS
Get MacPacker
v0.15.1 · macOS 14+$ brew install --cask macpackerApp Store updates may lag a few days behind direct downloads due to Apple review.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open an ARJ file on Mac?
macOS doesn't support ARJ natively. Use MacPacker to browse and extract ARJ archives visually, or install 7-Zip via Homebrew and run: 7zz x archive.arj
Related formats
ZIP is the most widely used archive format on macOS. It supports lossless compression and is natively handled by Finder and Archive Utility.
RAR is a proprietary archive format known for high compression ratios and multi-part archives. macOS has no built-in RAR support.
LHA (also known as LZH) is a Japanese archive format popular in retro computing and the Amiga community.